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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012
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Newsletter of the Maryland Ornithological Society
VOL. 32, NO. 4
President’s Corner iljyr
from outgoing President , "
Mark Johnson
S t has been a great trip! I’ve considered myself a naturalist,
ecologist, and birdwatcher that has kept my eyes more
skyward than elsewhere, but when the nomination and
subsequent election came to lead our Society, I didn’t really
know what to expect. At the end of my service, I have found
the experience very rewarding and fulfilling. There are many
simply so many incredible people who gratefully make the extra
effort to keep our Society going. It happens (and there are many
more pieces to this than is apparent) because everyone pitches
in and gets it done. Volunteers step up to the call, some simply
come out of nowhere, and contribute ideas, time and effort to
help us to do so much more than organize birdwatching trips.
That our Society is engaged in supporting avian research,
conservation, citizen science through the Atlas, bird counts, and
other endeavors, and establishing sanctuaries that provide habitat
and in some cases overnight accommodations is something we
all can be proud of. Of course I am only scratching the surface
on the many things we do on the state level, there are many more
activities that occur in our 1 5 chapters that greatly add to the list.
increases, there will be fewer birds and places we can go to see
them. Our local planning and zoning boards may be interested in
our birdwatching data to help delineate prime areas that should
be protected. We also need to reach out more to local nature
centers, Earth Day fairs, libraries, public schools, and garden
clubs to increase the awareness of birds in Maryland. Education
to these other venues will help provide a greater appreciation of
the environmental values and services we all benefit from, while
also potentially attracting new members. Think about inviting
a younger person to come on a trip or a talk and share what you
appreciate with them. If everyone did this we would expand our
membership exponentially!
Finally, I would like to thank the following individuals
in particular for their help and guidance during my term: Janet
Shields, Wayne Bell, David Webb, Ward Ebert, Paul Zucker,
Maryanne Dolan, and especially, John Malcolm for his service,
attention to detail, and dedication in the awards and pin contest
and support for our conferences in these many years. He will
surely be greatly missed.
President’s Corner
Maureen F. Harvey
Many key volunteers consider their service as serious
as one may consider a career - they are trustworthy, dependable,
and available, the latter attribute just as important as the others.
There appears to be no pattern; people with busy careers and
children are as active (or even more so) as some retirees. What
drives our volunteers is the feeling of accomplishment and duty,
and I am thankful that we all share this drive.
With this great core of people, there is still much more
that needs to be done. We simply need to get more engaged
in grass-roots conservation efforts. Kurt Schwarz and the
Conservation Committee are doing an excellent job at scanning
the nation and providing lobbying efforts; however, we need to
save habitats here in Maryland before it is too late. As sprawl
ratitude to My Exemplars
First of all, I wish to thank my mentors - many of them
past MOS Presidents - who have inspired us all (and me
in particular) to keep this organization moving forward by adept
accomplishment of the duties that came before them. Some of
my many personal exemplars have been Chandler Robbins, John
Malcolm, Bob Ringler, Norman Saunders, Karen Morley, Paul
Zucker, Janet Millenson, Marcia Balestri, Wayne Bell, and most
recently Mark Johnson. It is humbling to be included in their
ranks, and I hope my little feet will somehow manage to fill their
shoes without too much tripping or stumbling!
Members, Please Help!
Volunteers are the core of our non-profit
organization. MOS’s continuity depends on
you. Please answer the call in a big, medium
or small way by contacting me (410-795-
3117 or president@mdbirds.org), any other
MOS officer, or your local chapter. At the
state level, there are vacancies on several
standing committees, including some
committee chairs. Many of the committee
activities are handled via e-mail or phone
continued on page 2
Inside This Issue
President’s Corner 1
Norm Saunders, Innovator 2
YMOS News 3
Pin Contest 3
Chapter Chatter 4
Fall Count 2012 6
John Malcolm 8
Scholarship Program 9
MOS Conference 2013 9
Birds of Note 10
Bachman’s Warbler 1 1
Biodiversity Project 15
Editor’s Note 15
Youth Birder Conference 15
MOS Calendar 16
Records Committee 26
MDBirding 28
2
The Maryland Yellowthroat
President ’s Corner continued from page 1
call and require a couple hours of effort
each month (e.g., investments) or a
concentrated effort over a short period
of time each year (e.g., Earthshare).
Won’t you consider taking on one of the
following “big” roles?:
• Investment Committee Chair -
review and discuss quarterly statements
with existing committee members
• Earthshare Representative
(conservation-related workplace giving
campaign) - complete annual paperwork
packet, attend fund raiser events to
inform prospective donors about MOS
• Volunteer Coordinator - update
MOS events needing volunteers in
Earthshare data base, help MOS find
volunteers
• Annual Conference Field Trip
Coordinator - plan trips and solicit trip
leaders
• Annual Conference Silent
Auction and Raffle Coordinator - solicit
and manage donations and sales
• Long-range Planning - lead
discussions on MOS’s future
• Development/Publicity
encourage membership growth
Medium volunteer efforts include
preparing and presenting programs to
chapters, submitting an article or book
review for publication, or joining the
next sanctuary work-day crew to help
repair and clean up the grounds or
buildings or prepare a meal for the other
volunteers. In addition, there are a few
continual medium roles that are open.
Won’t you consider taking on one of the
following “medium” roles?:
• Nominations Committee,
Western MD chapters’ representative
- help develop slate of officers prior to
biannual elections
• Birds of North America Online
Coordinator - solicit subscriptions and
submit info to Cornell
• World Series of Birding
Adult Team Coordinator - solicit team
members and funds
Some smaller short-term efforts include
leading a conference or chapter field
trip, bringing refreshments to a meeting,
or working the registration desk at the
annual conference. Please find your
niche and pitch in!
Thanks to Norm Saunders
A Birding Innovator
The Maryland Ornithological
Society would like to extend its deepest
thanks to Norm Saunders, who retired
this summer from nearly 25 years of
service to the Mid-Atlantic birding
community as creator and moderator of
bird reporting groups The Osprey’s Nest
and MDOsprey.
Norm was a true innovator
in the use of technology to report bird
sightings. Back in the days before
personal computers, birders seeking
noteworthy sightings could only turn to
the pre-recorded Voice of the Naturalist
phone service.
These labor-intensive
recordings were life-lines for birders,
but their once-a-week release and
the challenge of scribbling down the
information as fast as possible made
them less than ideal as reporting systems.
Into the mix stepped Norm,
with his burgeoning love of birding
and of personal computers. He enjoyed
fooling around with “the heavy iron of
the big mainframes,” and soon began
learning about Bulletin Board Systems,
or BBSs: programs that allowed users
to login via a phone line to download
information and communicate with one
another.
Norm quickly sought to join
his two passions, but at first had a very
difficult time finding others among the
small group of BBS users who were also
birders. Norm was the only one - likely
the first birder on the internet.
In 1987, Norm debuted the first
bird-related bulletin board, called The
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Newsletter of the Maryland
Ornithological Society, Inc.
Editor:
Richard Donham
rdonham8@gmail.com
Designer:
Eric Skrzypczak
ericskrz@gmail.com
Calendar Editor:
Andy Martin
martinap@verizon.net
301-294-4805
Chapter Chatter:
Jean Wheeler
j swheeler3@verizon.net
Mailing list:
Helen Horrocks
hlh_3 7@yahoo.com
301-831-6315
MOS web site:
http://www.mdbirds.org
Webmaster:
John Hays Christy
SiteMa ven@mdbirds . org
Anyone is welcome to contribute articles,
photos, or ideas that would be of interest
to other birders. Copy may be e-mailed to
Richard Donham by Sep 20, 2012 for the
November/December 2012 issue.
Illustrations pp. 1, 4 ©M. Suzanne Probst
Photograph p. 8 ©Bill Murphy
Bill Hubick p. IS
L.A. Fuertes/B. Horsfall 1907 p. 13
Bird of North America Online p. 12
Osprey’s Nest, or TON. Focusing on the
DC area, TON eventually had more than
150 local users (non-local BBS use was
limited by long-distance phone charges).
It was a source for bird sightings,
questions about equipment, checklists.
Voice of the Naturalist transcripts, field
trip schedules and other useful things.
In October 1997, The Osprey’s
Nest turned into MDOsprey, the
forerunner of birding listservs now
common around the globe and central to
the modern birding experience.
Norm, with the help of his wife Fran,
handled both the technical aspects of
the list and the personal - dealing with
sometimes quirky or finicky users - for
years.
Though Norm is no longer at the helm
of the Maryland listserv, his steady
leadership will not be forgotten, and
his impact on birding will continue to
be felt. Thanks again. Norm, and good
birding.
September/October 2012
3
YMOS News
By George Radcliffe
2012 World Series of Birding
On May 12, nine Maryland youth
supported by parents and coaches
participated in the 29th World Series
of Birding in Cape May, NJ. Two
middle school teams and a high
school team spent 3 days scouting
Cape May County and then set out
at 12 midnight on the Big Day for
21 hours of tracking down species.
Despite a poor migration fall-out
that day, the group excelled, with
one middle school team identifying
156 species, a new Maryland youth
record for the event. The group came
from Baltimore, Harford, Charles,
and Queen Anne’s Counties.
YMOS Backpacks
A backpack will be given out to
each chapter again this year. The
pack will contain a pair of Eagle
Optics Triumph 8 x 42 binoculars,
a field guide, and the yellow MOS
publication, Birds of Maryland.
Many of the chapters have devised
their own method of awarding the
pack. These include having youth
submit a birding list for a period of
time and keeping a birding journal
with descriptions and drawings.
Each chapter will be given a pack at
the September Board Meeting.
YMOS Website (www.ymos.
org)
The YMOS Website is designed for
both young birders and any adults
who work with youth. The site
contains birding basics, data sources,
useful links, trip and program
information, a how to use eBird
section. World Series of Birding
information, summer program
information, and educator resources.
This is a great site for anyone new to
the world of birding.
YMOS Summer Program
This past June a group of students and
teachers from across the state met at
Washington College for the third annual
Maryland Birds and Habitats summer
workshop. The group, representing 7
counties, learned how to collect and
report data on eBird, use bird breeding
atlas protocols, and set up a bird
monitoring site. On the final day the
group was treated to a bird banding
activity at Chino Farms. The program
will be repeated June 23-28, 2013, and
both detailed program information and
application are posted on the YMOS
webpage (see also MOS Calendar, p.
21 ).
YMOS Birding Trips and the
World Series of Birding
YMOS runs trips during the year for
interested youth. Each chapter offers
trips that young people can participate
in, but the YMOS trips provide an
opportunity for youth from different
chapters to meet and learn together.
The trip dates are found on the YMOS
webpage. The trips will also be used to
identify and prepare youth teams for the
2013 World Series of Birding in Cape
May.
Each chapter should actively search
for young people in their areas with a
particular interest in birds. Get them out
on a trip with your chapter, direct them
to the YMOS website, get them out on a
YMOS trip, and direct them to George
Radcliffe at radclifg@gmail.com if they
would be interested in participating on a
World Series of Birding team.
This coming year we will once again
field both middle and high school teams.
Experience is not necessary; love of the
natural world is.
2013 MOS Conference
Pin Contest
Ellen Lawler, a member of the Tri-
County Bird Club, has agreed to take
over the task of running the Conference
Pin Contest. A well-known artist among
MOS members, Ellen has herself entered
the pin contest. The kingbird pin for the
2004 Washington College, Chestertown,
was her winning entry. We are grateful
to Ellen for taking on this MOS job un-
der such sad circumstances and allowing
John’s Pin Contest Alert deadline to be
met.
Artists: Pin Contest Alert
What species will represent the 2013
Conference in Harford County? Perhaps
aYellow-throated, Kentucky, or Cerulean
Warbler from Susquehanna State Park or
a Bald Eagle from Conowingo Dam.
The deadline for the 2013 Pin Contest is
January 17, 2013. The rules are simple:
the bird must be appropriate for the con-
ference site; it must contain the phrases
“MOS” and “2013;” the artist must be a
member of MOS; and entries must be in
HARD COPY
Put your name, address, phone number,
e-mail address, chapter affiliation, and
the species on the back of each entry.
Send entries to Ellen Lawler, 412 Monti-
cello Ave., Salisbury, MD 21801.
To see all the rules, and more tips about
designing pins for the contest, visit the
MOS web site or contact Ellen at 410-
546-9056.
John Malcolm and the
Conference Pin Contest
John was a very active member of MOS
for many years, and one of his many con-
tributions was the Conference Pin. John
initiated the first Conference Pin Contest
in 1987. Each year he sent out the call
for entries; he established an elaborate
system forjudging the entries; and he ar-
ranged for the pins to be produced. John
did this for twenty-five years. He will be
very much missed.
Janet Shields
4
The Maryland Yellowthroat
ANNE ARUNDEL
For a couple of decades now, I’ve
missed seeing the Townsend’s Warbler
by a few seconds and a tail feather. This
has happened all over the country, in
several states, in groups large and small.
Everyone would get a great look at the
bird and I missed it. It was driving me
nuts! Townsend’s were taunting me by
appearing locally for a day, usually a week
day, and disappearing by the time I could
break away from work on a weekend.
So, imagine my elation when I found out
about a Townsend’s that had made itself
at home in a nearby Pennsylvania town!
Due to various scheduling snafus I didn’t
get to make the trip for another couple of
weeks. Pennsylvania birders are not the
obsessive posters that Maryland birders
are, so it was hard to find out if the bird
was still in the area. Finally, I got in the
car and headed for Mt. Holly Springs
on a glorious Saturday morning. Got to
the house and parked in the appropriate
location. The hosts are also birders and
had published a few simple rules for
use of the yard. I stood on the landing
to the deck in the back yard. There were
more feeders, baths, and nest boxes than
I could have imagined. Where to start!
It was being seen at a feeder, but which
one? I decided to do a systematic feeder
by feeder search. Didn’t take long to find
the right feeder - the suet feeder with the
Townsend’s sitting on it! I had a great
view in excellent light at eye level. Who
could ask for more? Now, what’s the next
nemesis bird? - Kathie Lambert
The forecast for the Scottish Highlands
was for days of cold rain, but the
weather was much kinder for our trip
of June 8-17. Organized by Marilyn
Taylor, of the AABC and Nicol Mutch
of Scotland, we began our tour at
Kindrogan Field Center, a 19th century
manor near Pitlochry. For six days, led
by two expert and entertaining Scots, our
guide, Russell Nisbet (driving a 17-seater
minibus) and Nicol we ventured from
our base to moors, mountaintops, lochs,
glens, burns (rivers), and nature centers
to find 100 bird species, including Black
Grouse, Ptarmigan, Dipper, Dotterel,
Great Crested Grebe, Red Kite, Common
Sandpiper, Ring Ouzel, Dunnock, and
Chiff-Chaff. The last two days of our trip
were spent in beautiful St. Andrews and
environs, where our North Sea sightings
included a ‘Bonxie’ (Scot-speak for
Great Skua) and Gannet. We finished
our trip with a cruise from Anstruther to
the Isle of May, home of some 200,000
nesting seabirds, including Puffin,
Guillemot, Razorbill, Eider, Arctic Tern,
Kittiwake, Fulmar, Shag, and Rock Pipit.
Participants included: AABC members
Marilyn Taylor, Phyllis Mansfield of
Cocoa Beach, FL, a friend of Marilyn’s,
Barbara Ricciardi, Fred and Jane
Fallon, Jean Wheeler, (HBC), Lloyd
Lewis, Kim Hudyma, Peter Bungay,
Bobbi Reichwein, Barbara Johnson. We
had 115 species by trip’s end.
-Barbara Johnson
CAROLINE COUNTY
Long time CC chapter member, Ethel
Engle , celebrated her 89th birthday on
July 2.
The CC bird Club mourns the passing of
long time member Oliver “Ollie ” Smith
on June 6, 2012. Ollie held many local
MOS offices over the decades and played
an important role in the recovery of
Caroline County’s bluebird population.
He and other Club members built bluebird
boxes for years and sold them at his Ford
dealership, along with Purple Martin
boxes. -Debby Bennett
HARFORD COUNTY
2011 Annual Awards Presented
At the March 2 dinner meeting, the club
continued the tradition of recognizing
members and friends who have made a
special contribution to our organization
during the past year. We wish to thank
John Malcolm of the Montgomery MOS
chapter for his beautiful certificates that
he creates each year for each awardee.
The first award was Birder of the
Year, presented to Becky Gallo for her
initiative in creating and leading our first
“youth wing” of the club. The group has
labeled themselves the “Harford Herons”
and has focused on secondary students
but will begin encouraging upper
elementary students as well. Becky has
linked with the MOS Youth program
and sponsors field trips for youth and
regularly communicates with and among
her troops. Congratulations Becky!
The next award was Volunteer of the
Year, presented to Phil Powers for his
many hours given on behalf of birds,
birding and birders. Phil has been a
longtime volunteer at Harford Glen,
helping with the banding demonstration
on a weekly basis for the fifth grade
residential program. He has served on the
Anita Leight Estuary Center board and
leads many birding field trips and boat
trips for the general public. As a Harford
Bird Club field trip committee member,
he originated a field trip at Mariner
Point Park in Joppatowne designed for
physically handicapped and wheelchair
bound participants. For several years
he has presented a program to the public
through the sponsorship of The Mill of
Bel Air about backyard bird feeding. For
all these generous gifts of time and talent,
we congratulate you Phil!
Our Rookie of the Year was presented to
Callum MacLellan-O ’Brien of Abingdon.
Callum is a fourteen-year old enthusiastic
member of the Harford Herons and the
State MOS Youth program. Last year
he was a participant in the MOS Youth
team that competed in the World Series
of Birding in New Jersey. He will also
represent Harford again this year in the
competition. We look forward to many
exciting years of enjoying our birdlife
continued on page 5
September/October 2012
5
Chapter Chatter continued from page 4
and environment as he matures in his
skills and abilities as a birder. Best
wishes Callum and congratulations!
Our Lister of the Year was awarded
to our Vice-President Matt Hafner for
seeing 224 species in Harford County
during 2011. Matt is one of the state’s
most active field birders, leading trips
throughout the state and even on the
Atlantic Ocean as a pelagic bird trip
organizer and leader. We are fortunate
to have him and his wife, Kim, back in
Harford County and involved with the
Harford Bird Club. Congratulations
Matt!
Our final award is Bird of the Year.
This award is centered on a bird but also
recognizes the discoverer and/or host of
the species for their hospitality to the bird
and to birders. Because 2011 was such a
good year for new birds to Harford (six
species were added to the County all-
time list), the executive board decided
to honor two birds and their hosts.
Harford’s first Rufous Hummingbird was
discovered and carefully attended to by
Chris and Rebecca Kellar of Darlington.
It was first seen in late October and
remained throughout the winter and was
still being seen in late March. The Kellars
welcomed birders to come and see the
bird and shared photos with many of the
visitors. Thank you, Chris and Rebecca
for your efforts in backyard habitat
management and for your generosity to
Club members! Our second award went
to the staff of Swan Harbor Farm Park
for hosting Harford’s first LeConte’s
Sparrow from mid-November to early
December. Matt Hafner was one of
the initial discoverers of the bird and as
word spread, folks from throughout the
state and region visited this beautiful
park to enjoy the rare sighting. We are
fortunate to have this preserved area on
the Bay that provides outstanding habitat
for waterfowl, song birds, and marsh and
field birds. Thank you to Park manager
Craig Lanphear and to all who help
maintain and enrich this beautiful public
property.
-Dennis Kirkwood
Colorado Cruising
From 19-30 June, Dennis and Jean
Kirkwood led a band of 7 (Les Eastman,
Marcia Mundrick, Jane Scocca, Joe &
Melody Stevens, Jerry Strickroth, Bob
Werrlein ) on a 2120 mile trans-Colorado
avian odyssey. Skirting the worst fires
in Colorado history, our group visited
a mosaic of prime birding habitats. In
the Pawnee National Grasslands, we
found Lark Bunting, Chestnut-collared
and McCown’s Longspur, 53 species
in all, before heading west to Estes and
Rocky Mountain NP. There we met Scott
Rashid, an expert on small mountain owls
who took us to the nest area of recently
fledged Northern Pygmy Owls where the
7- inch predators (2 adults and 5 young)
sat obligingly as we photographed them
for about 20 min. Scott also took us to
see, and photograph, young Northern
Goshawks on a nest. We did, but moved
out smartly when the irate female made
a screeching pass at our intrusion. That
afternoon we hiked the Alpine Ridge
Trail (1 1,796 ft), braced ourselves against
cold 70 mph wind gusts, and located a
pair of White-tailed Ptarmigan, and 6
majestic bull elk in velvet. We drove
southwest to Grand Junction, Gunnison,
Ouray, Durango, Mesa Verde, got 159
species, encountered lightning storms,
more fires, and choppers dropping fire
retardant chemicals. Flags at National
Parks were at half-mast for a ranger killed
in a Mt Rainier rescue in Washington
state. It was a great and memorable trip,
requiring quick changes in plans, like
when we found the ‘Flying W Ranch’,
our planned restaurant in Colorado
Springs, had burned to the ground before
we arrived.
- Bob Werrlein
HOWARD COUNTY
Over the summer, the Howard County
Chapter has been busy with community
outreach events. The Club’s Student
Art Contest garnered 27 submissions.
Backpacks were awarded to first place
winners in both the elementary and the
middle school divisions. Kruti Patel
from Patapsco Middle School drew a
lovely Goldfinch and Tiffany Lee of
Manor Woods Elementary School drew
a vibrant Northern Cardinal. Both girls
appreciated their backpacks.
The contest was judged by Holly Highfill,
a well-respected set and museum design
artist, who designed most of the displays
for the Robinson Nature Center. Later,
the club participated in the Insect
Extravaganza at the Robinson Nature
Center. The club’s display provided an
opportunity to promote the organization’s
many activities and encourage new
membership.
- Kate Tufts
KENT COUNTY
The Kent County Bird Club lost its
long-time Treasurer in May when Glenn
Dulmage lost his battle with cancer.
Besides serving as Treasurer, Glenn
was an avid photographer. He and his
wife Juli were frequent travelers and
entertained members with programs
recounting their visits to France’s
Camargue and to Costa Rica and Belize
to help band hummingbirds, among other
destinations. His good humor and lively
spirit will be missed.
-Nancy Martin
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Pam Oves, whose duties for the Audubon
Naturalist Society normally keep
her focused on the flora and fauna of
Woodend Sanctuary, reports that she and
her husband finally made it to Cape May
in early May, where they walked Cape
May Point SP, took a boat ride on the
Skimmer, and added ten new species to
their bird lists, including Brown-headed
Nuthatch, Blue Grosbeak and American
Oystercatcher.
Stephanie Lovell reports that she attended
Audubon Society’s Hog Island Camp
in Bremen, Maine in June. “I chose the
program that had Scott Weidensaul as
leader because I loved his books. From
the moment we landed Sunday afternoon
to the moment we left Friday morning
the days were full of walks, workshops,
and sea trips. Every morning there was
a 5:45 AM walk before breakfast, and
for the truly early birds, Lang Elliot led
a 4 a.m. trip to capture the dawn song
of island birds. Bill Thompson III and
Julie Zickefoose were there with their
children. Dr. Sara Morris was there with
her daughter. Steve Kress, the founder of
Project Puffin and Sea Bird Restoration
led a trip to Egg Rock and the Puffin
Colony. There were Puffins, Eider,
Guillemots, Cormorants, harbor seals and
Bald Eagles. An Osprey nest was right
by the dining hall/kitchen. Attendees
continued on page 6
6
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Chapter Chatter continued from page 5
included 46 adults, mostly gray haired,
and 16 teens between 14 and 18 years.
This was a full house for the camp, a
first in some time. Every day there were
walks to the mainland or out to sea or
workshops to learn something about birds
and birding including: banding (have you
ever heard a sparrow’s heartbeat?); care
of your equipment; and identifying those
frustrating little brown jobs. Evening
programs after dinner (the food was
excellent by the way) entertained and
edified us. Each senior leader had an
evening. Steve Kress gave the history
of the Puffin Project. Julie Zickefoose
demonstrated how she produced a
painting. Scott Weidensaul described
banding Saw- whet Owls and hummers.
The funniest was Bill Thompson on
the ‘Trials and Tribulations of Birding.’
No life birds for me, but a wonderful
experience with like-minded folks. If
you love Puffins, the sea and birds, and
learning new things, this is the place to
go.”
Brad Beukema ventured through the
Cimarron National Grasslands near
Elkhart, KS in March, hoping to see
Lesser Prairie Chickens. He reports,
“Seeing them was a long-shot, this
was early in their season, and a large
storm system trailing tornadoes and
floods loomed to the east, but seeing
them display was worth a chance. The
Grassland’s website lists two leks, but the
Forest Service office reported only the
East lek has seen activity in recent years.
At the prescribed hour before sunrise the
Grassland was pitch black. There was a
steady wind from the east, light rain, the
murmurings of Western Meadowlarks,
and the alarm calls of a nearby pack
of coyotes. About 30 yards east of the
blind, in grasses rooted in sandy soil, a
prairie dog town hosted the lek. As the
barely discernible first light emerged,
the wind and rain let up, and new sounds
distinguished themselves from the natter
of meadowlarks. The silhouettes of
heads, backs, and tails of the chickens
appeared to float across the prairie like
schooners. With the increasing light,
more details of approximately 12 cocks
became apparent: raised pinnae feathers,
prominent orange-yellow eye combs,
and bulging reddish- brown air sacs.
Definitely Lesser Prairie-Chickens. With
frenetic, almost endless motion, various
cocks ran about seeking opponents.
Their lek sounds grew louder with their
conspicuous bubbly booming as they
squared off. One charged as another tried
to hold his ground then flew straight
up three or four feet in retreat. It was
a singular display and well worth the
journey.”
Your correspondent also wishes to
announce that on May 7 he ticked his
600th bird in the Lower 48, a Varied
Thrush that his Nature Conservancy trip
leader Eric Horvath whistled (yes, with
his lips, not a tape) out of the gloom of an
Oregon rain forest. While on an earlier
Nature Conservancy trip to the North
Platte River to see migrating Sandhill
Cranes, I also enjoyed two mornings in
converted school buses, watching Greater
Prairie Chickens and Sharp-tailed Grouse
parading about on leks in the Nebraska
Sandhills. It was a great Spring.
-Chris Wright
SOUTHERN MARYLAND
This was recently published in the
Ornithological Newsletter (a combined
newsletter of the AOU and other
societies): “ ORNITHOLOGICAL
COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW
SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM - On 31
Jan 20 1 2, the OC announced to its member
societies that it is initiating a small grants
program. This three-year pilot program
will offer grants to members of any of
continued on page 7
Maryland Fall Count 2012
The annual Fall Seasonal Count sponsored by MOS will
be held Saturday, September 15, 2012 and/or Sunday, September
16, 2012 in the Maryland-DC area. The MOS Board has left the
choice of whether the count will be on Saturday or Sunday to local
chapters and coordinators. Several counties have held organized
counts for several years on the third weekend of September. In
areas without an identified coordinator, individual parties submit
their results directly to the statewide coordinator for inclusion.
Anyone can participate, no matter your skill level. Every
pair of eyes helps, and it is great fun. The guidelines for this count are
the same as those used for all seasonal counts. Local coordinators
will assign volunteers to areas, honoring requests whenever
possible. Party leaders are responsible for tracking party miles
and times, names of participants, and documentation for unusual
sightings. A new checklist compilation form (AOU Supplement
order 52) is available on the MOS website, in the “Annual Counts”
s ection : http : //www. mdbirds . org/counts/fall/fallcounts . html
The list includes the species one would expect to find in
Maryland during this season. Those species on the list requiring
further written documentation are noted with asterisks, and all
write-ins require full details.
Check the Calendar (Pages 18-19) for September 15 and
16, where Andy Martin has listed the Fall Counts and compilers that
were confirmed by his deadline. A list of the county coordinators can
also be accessed on the MOS website link above. Anyone already
organizing a count or interested in volunteering as a coordinator for
another county without a coordinator are encouraged to contact the
state Coordinator.
If you don’t have web access or you are interested in
counting in a county without a coordinator, you can contact me
directly. Individual parties or other groups (e.g. Hawk Watch sites,
field trips) who count in areas without a coordinator, but have data for
the count period, are asked to submit their data along with details on
what area was covered, participants, and coverage statistics directly to
me by October 13.
Deadline for submitting completed reports to your
county coordinator is October 5, 2012. County compilers are asked
to submit compilations to me by October 27. Please plan to join the
fun and have a great day birding!
Chuck Stirrat
MOS Fall Count Coordinator
133 18 Hunt Ridge
Ellicott City, MD 21042-1155
Home phone: 410-531-2417
E-mail: ChuckS20@verizon.net
September/October 2012
7
Chapter Chatter continued from page 6
the OC member societies. During the
pilot phase, during which OC expects
to award grants totaling approximately
$7500 each year, grants will be limited
to projects in Central America, South
America, and the Caribbean so as to
maximize the return on limited funds.
Gwen Brewer has agreed to chair this
committee. Dr. Brewer is one of the
two representatives of the Neotropical
Ornithological Society to OC board.
She is a science program manager for
the Maryland Department of Natural
Resources was recently honored with
the North American Bird Conservation
Initiative (NACBI) and the Bird Habitat
Joint Ventures’ 2008 Bird Conservation
Award. In 2011 she was accepted as
an Elective Member of the American
Ornithologists’ Union. Dr. Brewer, who
has done research on birds in Maryland,
Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador, and
Chile, is currently forming the committee
that will establish program policies
and review proposals. Watch for a call
for proposals on or about 1 April 2012.
The call will be published on http://
www.ornithologyexchange.org/, on the
NEOORN, CIPAMEX, and SCSCB
list-serves, and distributed by the OC
member societies (most likely via the
OSNA e-mail notification system).”
-Phil Davis AABC
TALBOT COUNTY
In spring 2012, I studied a Common
Loon dawn migration departure from the
Apalachee Bay on the Florida panhandle.
Birds stay over water as long as possible,
so this little flyway was shaped by the
Bay, which forms a deep indentation
in the coast south of Tallahassee. A
platform at the south end of St. Marks
NWR, just behind the lighthouse, is an
ideal observation site. Beginning March
18, I arrived there 15 minutes before
dawn each day for 4 weeks. I counted
a departure of 1,154 loons. But I also
saw 133 flying southbound, “aborting
the mission”, mostly during the first two
weeks of the migratory period. So loon
departure was highly choreographed:
dependent on physical readiness to go,
visibility, and stable weather. Loons
can only take off from a sizable body of
water. They have a heavy wing-loading,
so long-distance flight places energetic
and thermoregulatory demands on them;
it’s a marathon experience. Thus they
are extremely careful when they commit
to northbound migration across the
continent. The larger point here is that
these flights are physically demanding
and they risk overheating. Thus the
Gulf, spring departures are pretty much
limited to dawn and the following hour.
Even though a hot sun burns off the
clouds by late morning, those warm mid-
day ambient conditions are not suitable
for loon departure
-Paul Spitzer
George Armistead, after 10 years of
leading or co-leading tours for Field
Guides, Inc., is ready for a change.
He is now Events Coordinator of the
American Birding Association. With
Field Guides he led or co-led tours to
Antarctica, Arabia, Australia, Argentina,
Alaska, Panama, the Galapagos Islands,
Ethiopia, Bolivia, Venezuela, France,
Manitoba, Puerto Rico, Japan, Mexico,
Morocco, a cluster of small island
groups in the Southern Ocean south of
New Zealand, and New Zealand per se,
not to mention exotic Cape May, North
Carolina, Florida, Oregon, and Texas.
He is greatly enjoying spending more
time birding near home in the Middle
Atlantic coast region. Perhaps also
contributing to this frame of mind was
his having lived for extensive periods
in Costa Rica, Washington, Colorado,
and Jamaica either as a naturalist
guide or research assistant. Rounding
out his amazing but not-very-highly-
compensated lifestyle were trips as an
ordinary tourist/birder to Thailand and
Brazil. I’d say any wanderlust itch he
had that needed to be scratched has been
more than satisfied. It will be nice to
see more of him and to bird with him
locally.
-Harry Armistead
Harry and Liz Armistead were in Cuba
with 24 others in April 2012. Preeminent
Cuban ornithologist Orlando Garrido
was with us for most of the tour. He has
a collection of 7,000 beetles and was a
world class tennis (beaten by his brother
Reynaldo in the final of the Canadian
open) and jai alai player. He is also a
first class gentleman. At 81 he was hard
to keep up with. Amazingly widespread
birds were Antillean Palm Swift,
Cave Swallow, Cuban Trogon, Turkey
Vulture, Black-whiskered Vireo, West
Indian Woodpecker, Gray Kingbird,
Red-legged Thrush, and Cattle Egret.
We also saw the world’s smallest bird,
the Bee Hummingbird, a male, a little
fighter jet of a bird. The tour only found
100 species but the music, dancing, food,
art, scenery, museums, several botanical
gardens, and the friendly cheerfulness
of the Cubans compensated for this. We
visited Hemingway’s Finca la Vigia, the
Bay of Pigs Museum (Museo Giron), the
Museo de la Revolucion, Buena Vista
Social Club, Palacio de Bellas Artes, and
the fabulous Hotel Nacional de Cuba,
famous for a seminal mob gathering in
1946 of Meyer Lansky et al.. We saw
the famous solid gold telephone given
by the president of ITT to President
Batista (as depicted in ‘Godfather II”).
Major areas visited were Cienfuegos,
Trinidad, Pinar del Rio, and Havana.
Many of the endemics were shown to us,
such as Cuban Solitaire, Cuban Black-
hawk, Cuban Parakeet, Cuban Martin,
Cuban Blackbird, Cuban Crow (a near
endemic), and Blue-headed Quail-dove,
as well as Olive-capped (a near endemic)
and Yellow-headed warblers. Land
crabs everywhere in southern Matanzas
province really gave me the creeps. The
several young, local birding guides who
helped us were exceptionally good.
- Harry Armistead
TRI COUNTY
Birding Central Asia - Tri County’s world
birders, Patsy and Eric Decker, fulfilled
a dream in May when they travelled
with Sunbird-Wings (wingsbirds.com/
sunbirdflights/) on a birding and cultural
trip to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The logistics were daunting but well
worth the effort. While birding they
travelled the major overland trading
routes of commerce from China to
Europe used since ancient times by the
Mongols, Greeks, Persians, Europeans
and Russians. They birded steppe
grasslands and deserts; riparian and
alpine regions; sometimes camping and
sometimes staying in accommodations
from very nice to the absolute basic.
The cultural immersion was fulfilling
and the birding was very successful with
the target birds cooperating. Highlights
included: Barred Warbler, Pander’s
continued on page 8
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Chatper Chatter continued from page 7
Ground Jay, Dalmatian Pelican, Red-
headed and Grey-necked Buntings, the
stunning Severtzov’s Tit Warbler and
an easy Himalayan Snowcock. Adding
to this were spectacular scenery and
wildflowers. Patsy and Eric felt safe
throughout the trip and recommend it as
an excellent cultural and birding tour to
a unique part of the world.
- Carol Broderick
An Appreciation:
John Grant Malcolm
photo by Bill Murphy
(April 15, 1941 -July 2, 2012)
Longtime MOS member
and Past President John G. Malcolm
passed away unexpectedly on July 2,
2012. His widow, Joy Aso, says that
John loved a good story. If you have
a story about John you would like to
share, please send it to Joy Aso, 10205
Kindly Court, Montgomery Village,
MD 20886. Also, if you wish, donations
in John’s memory may be made to
MOS- John Malcolm Memorial, 4141
Quail Way, Havre de Grace, MD
21078. The following Appreciation for
John was prepared by Michael Bowen
and appeared also in the Montgomery
County Bird Club newsletter. The Chat.
Maureen F. Harvey
John Malcolm was born and
brought up in Missoula, Montana.
As a native of Big Sky Country, his
first impressions of the East were not
promising, and it seemed at that time
unlikely to be his career destination.
He spent eight years in the U.S. Army,
serving in California and Texas, and
ending his service career at Fort Myer,
Virginia, having also enjoyed a happy
portion of his service in Italy, where
he fell in love with the city of Verona.
Rather than go back West, he stayed
in the DC area where he earned a B.A.
with honors (1970) and an M.B.A.
(1971) from the University of Maryland.
There followed a fellowship at the U.S.
Defense Department and a long career
as a management and systems analyst
in federal service —
at the Food and Drug
Administration and the
Department of Health
and Human Services —
until his retirement in
1999. John also taught
courses on marketing
and advertising at the
University of Maryland
(University College)
for 20 years, starting in
1975, and he thoroughly
enjoyed teaching.
Work colleagues of
John remember him as
hardworking, absolutely
reliable, innovative, unflappable,
unswervingly ethical, and possessed of
a delightful sense of humor — qualities
that those of us in the local birding
community later came to recognize too,
as he became involved in birding and
started a remarkable record of service to
the Maryland Ornithological Society.
As his interest in and knowledge
of birds grew, John started taking
classes taught by Don Messersmith
in the late 1970s, where he met others
who would become lifelong friends,
like Don himself. Daphne Gemmill, and
Bill Murphy, who was Don’s teaching
assistant. They formed the nucleus of a
tight-knit little birding group that birded
all over the mid-Atlantic and beyond,
traveling in John’s VW bus. At that time,
John met beginning birder Joy Aso, who
was later to become his wife. (John had
been married and divorced and had a
son, Lynn, and a daughter, Linda.) To
this day, members of the group recall
their trips with a tremendous amount of
pleasure.
John’s work with and for
the Maryland Ornithological Society
started in 1985, when he became a state
director from the Montgomery County
Chapter (as the Montgomery Bird Club
was then called). In 1989, he became
president of MOS and served in this
capacity until 1992. Other MOS officers
at the time describe him as easy to work
with, and they noted the same sterling
personal qualities as did his colleagues
in the federal government. Then, as
past-president of MOS, rather than sit
back and rest on his laurels, John once
again became a state director from
Montgomery and concomitantly started
(and in the case of the pin program,
continued) the work that will be most
familiar to those who have joined MOS
in recent years — the awards program
and the conference pin program. And
for many years, his house was the
storage place for a myriad of MOS
products, such as coffee mugs and piles
of “Yellow Books,” and John was the
official MOS source for all such things.
As MOS president he had
become persuaded that the Society
needed to honor its outstanding workers
and contributors (volunteers all), and
he spent the succeeding years not only
convincing the chapter presidents
that they should recognize their best
contributing members but personally
making the award plaques or certificates,
often writing or suggesting the wording.
This program drew directly on John’s
experience with printing and computers,
which he had gained in his work for the
federal government. Surely no one in
MOS has ever possessed such a deep
knowledge of print fonts and paper
properties or such a wicked sense of
humor for the wording of an award
plaque! One of my prized possessions
is an “Attaboy” certificate, designed by
John and presented after I had served
as the local coordinator of an MOS
conference.
For several years, he and Joy
served on the board of directors of the
continued on page 9
September/October 2012
Scholarship continued from page 8
former World Nature Association where
his management expertise was very
helpful to his mentor, Don Messersmith.
In recent years, he and Don also worked
together on the recognition of MOS
50-year members. John’s love of puns
and odd occurrences he found on the
Internet, which he shared with others,
were always much anticipated and
appreciated by everyone lucky enough
to be on the distribution list.
Before John became MOS
president he had started a program
where artists competed to have their
design reproduced on the small pins that
are distributed to attendees at the annual
MOS Conference; the same design is
used on conference T-shirts. As one of
the judges asked by John to help rate
the submitted designs, I was able to see
at close range how admirably fair and
even-handed he was. Not once in the 10
years I acted as a judge did John reveal
whose artwork we were assessing
or even who my fellow judges were.
Not once did he suggest that I should
consider any one design as superior or
inferior. A judging session with John
over morning coffee was for me the
highlight of many a cold January day.
John’s sense of humor could
come to the fore under almost any
conditions. In 2008, at a memorial
occasion at Woodend to honor the late
Paul DuMont, a series of Paul’s birding
friends delivered quiet remarks. When
it was John’s turn, he broke the somber
mood and brought the house down with
a hilarious tale of a pelagic trip at which
everyone, including Paul, succumbed to
seasickness. It was John at his best, and
Paul would have loved it. John Malcolm
was a birder, and a good one, but he was
much more besides. He loved traveling
and collecting (tea bags represent one
unconventional item!), cuisine, and
companionship. In recent years, poor
health caused him to slow down, but he
always exuded cheerfulness and never
quit volunteering.
There could be no finer epitaph
for John than the one he penned himself
before a June 2012 brain operation
he feared he might not survive: “Tell
everyone that I’ve had a great life, and I
appreciate each and every one of them.
If you receive this message, know that
I loved you and was glad that you were
part of my life. To remember me, please
go do something nice for someone less
fortunate than you.”
— Michael Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club
2013 MOS Scholarship
Program Preliminary
Announcement
Tom Strikwerda
The Maryland Ornithological
Society announces the summer 2013
scholarship program, open to Maryland
teachers, nature center staff, park rang-
ers, and youth leaders, to attend week-
long ecology and ornithology work-
shops.
In 2012 six scholarship recipients at-
tended workshops at the beautiful Hog
Island Audubon camp in Maine (a de-
scription of this experience by Stepha-
nie Lovell, a member of the Montgom-
ery County Chapter, who attended one
of the camps, can be found in Chapter
Chatter).
Awards, each valued at about $1100,
cover tuition, room, and board for an
intensive six days of field study and
instruction in ecology, ornithology,
conservation, or natural history. Travel
expenses to and from the workshops are
the responsibility of the recipient.
Although the 2013 workshop selections
and dates haven’t yet been announced,
they’re expected to be similar to 2012.
The application and workshop informa-
tion for 2012 can serve as a guide for
preliminary planning for the 2013 pro-
gram and is available on the MOS web-
site (www.mdbirds.org).
Official information for 2013 will be
posted on the website when available
and announced in the next issue of the
Yellowthroat. Questions? Please con-
tact Scholarship Chair Tom Strikwerda
at tom.strikwerda@verizon.net.
2013 MOS Conference
Edgewood, Harford County
May 24-26
We’re going back to Harford
County for 2013. Come to the
conference and spend Memorial Day
weekend there birding with friends!
Our first Harford County conference
was in 2008, also at the end of May,
which proved to be an excellent
location and time for birding with a
total of 173 species for that conference.
Perhaps 2013 will prove
to be even more productive. There
will be birding in Harford and Cecil
Counties with perhaps a foray into
Baltimore County and a side trip to
Bombay Hook. As we discovered in
2008, Harford has many wonderful
birding spots with diversified habitat.
Come and join us for another magical
Harford conference experience.
As in 2008, the Richlin
Ballroom in Edgewood will be our
base for meetings and meals. Field
trips will be staged from the parking lot
behind Richlin. Overnight guests may
stay at either the Ramada Conference
Center or the Sleep Inn for $75 a night.
The Ramada Conference Center will
be the location for our Silent Auction
and Raffle and also the nature store.
All three facilities are located within
feet of each other.
This year I am looking for
someone to run the Silent Auction and
Raffle. Also needed is a Conference
Field Trip Coordinator. We are always
looking for volunteers to help with
leading the field trips and local guides
to help the leaders. Plus, volunteers are
needed to help with the Silent Auction
and other conference tasks. Contact me
if you are interested or have questions.
Your talents and energies are needed
and will be greatly appreciated.
Janet Shields, Conference Chair
janetbill@prodigy.net
410-901-1039
10
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Birds of Note — by Les Roslvmd
• The weather conditions of April and May
of this year were so mild that lots of birders were
regularly visiting favorite sites in search of the
expected migrants or in hopes of finding unusual species. One
of the most unusual finds was a YELLOW RAIL, heard on
May 10 in Somerset County by a dedicated and diligent marsh
survey team. The team, led by Ron Gutberlet of Salisbury and
including Chris Snow and Jennifer Thompson, was working
along Big Monie Creek and heard a fascinating tic sequence
during their first survey of the year. After the first sequence
the team carefully ruled out the possibility that the sound was
from Clapper or Virginia Rails. Fortunately the bird provided
a second tic sequence which clearly carried the distinct pattern
of YELLOW RAIL vocalization: two soft tics alternating with
three. Although serious birders realize that a few YELLOW
RAILS must pass through Maryland each year, these birds are
so highly secretive that they are rarely heard or seen. Attempts
to find this bird the next day (on May 11) were not met with
success, so the great joy of this find is to be shared by just the
three birders mentioned above.
• Another highly unusual sighting this spring was of a
WESTERN TANAGER. This bird was briefly seen May 12 in
Black Hill Regional Park, Montgomery County. The sighting was
reported by Dave Czaplak and Mary Ann Todd of Montgomery
County, and though the bird did not stay long, Dave managed to
get photographs that were fully convincing. Later the same day,
Kathie Lambert of Harwood, MD heard and caught a glimpse of
what was probably the same bird. Further attempts to locate it
were not successful.
• Most years Maryland has at least one ANHINGA
sighting in the spring, and this year the lucky finder was Matt
Grey of Anne Arundel County. Matt found an adult ANHINGA
at Lake Waterford Park in Pasadena, MD on May 4. This bird
lent well to chasing so birders from the region immediately
converged on the end of the lake where some brushy trees with
low-hanging branches had been chosen by the bird. For the next
several days the ANHINGA remained in the same general region
and was found and enjoyed by many birders. The final sighting
report was provided by an un-named fisherman who described
seeing it the morning of May 10 as it flew up the lake away from
the dam.
• Maryland Birders normally head for Old Legislative
Road in Allegany County when they want to look for
HEN SLOW’S SPARROWS, so birders of the DC and Baltimore
regions were delighted to hear a report on April 19 from Matt
Hafner that there was a singing HENSLOW’S SPARROW
across the street from his home in Harford County. Over the next
few days the calling continued, the numbers of singing males
grew to two, and hopes grew high that there might be nesting
success in the hay fields that the birds were using. Kim and Matt
Hafner provided gracious hosting to a fine parade of interested
birders for many days. All seemed to be going well until May
17. On that date the land owners gave word of plans to harvest
the hay of the field. By the end of the day the field mowing was
complete and after May 17 there were no additional reports of
HENSLOW SPARROW singing at the site. It was certainly fun
while it lasted, providing lots of Harford County sightings of this
cute but elusive little bird. But nesting success was not attained.
• Within shorebird flocks during migration through our
region, birders optimistically search for the unusual bird, and
such searching on April 16 by Fred Shaffer of Anne Arundel
County caught the presence of a RUFF. The bird was foraging
amongst a large flock of shorebirds in some mud flats of
Patuxent River State Park near Jackson Landing, Anne Arundel
County. Prompt announcement of the sighting immediately
brought in many more birders. Successful RUFF sightings were
attained through Apr 17, but the bird could not be found in that
area on the 1 8th or later.
• Wading birds of our region in spring and summer
normally include GLOSSY IBIS and occasionally a WHITE-
FACED IBIS can be singled out. This season three sightings
of WHITE-FACED IBIS have been reported in Maryland. The
first was seen and photographed April 20 by Mike Burchett
and Betsy Bangert at the Fairmont WMA in Somerset County.
This bird was feeding alone near the parking lot for the first
impoundment. Six weeks later, on June 2, Carol Broderick
of Worcester County found another WHITE-FACED IBIS in
Somerset County. This one was just past the entrance to Deal
Island WMA and was feeding in the company of several dozen
GLOSSY IBIS. When it flew of into the marsh it could not
be relocated. On July 11, Marcia Balestri and Kathy Calvert
of Frederick County found another WHITE-FACED IBIS in
Somerset County. This one was also in Deal Island WMA, on
Green Dumpster Road.
• A few years ago WHITE PELICANS started making
regular winter use of the food and protection offered by
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County,
but they were not often seen north of that site. This spring
provided a brief exception on May 12 when six of them were
seen near Kent Narrows, Queen Anne’s County. Maren Gimpel
of Chestertown had the luck of being in the right place at the
right time to add them to her already large species list for Queen
Anne’s County. Maren noted that the birds were circling as if
they were intending to land near the Rte 50 Holiday Inn. The
cove beside this Holiday Inn is where several other interesting
waterfowl have shown up in recent years. No additional
sightings were reported.
• WHITE-WINGED DOVES are occasionally noticed in
our region, but not every year. This year one was found May
24 by Rob Ostrowski on the Assateague Causeway, Worcester
County. A report of the sighting was promptly relayed through
Matt Hafner, making it possible for Mike Burchett of Ocean Pines
to quickly reach the site, find the bird, and get a highly suitable
documentation photograph before the bird departed. It was not
seen again.
continued on page 11
September/October 2012
11
Birds of Note continued from page 10
• A juvenile BROWN PELICAN showed up on the
Anacostia River in DC on July 5, much to the joy of DC and
Maryland birders. Dan Rauch of DC was alerted to the presence of
this bird by District Department of Environment staff, and promptly
joined with Wayne Baumgartner to find the bird and attain some
excellent photos. BROWN PELICANS are regularly seen along
the Atlantic Shore each year, and in recent years they have become
familiar visitors on the Chesapeake Bay as far north as Tilghman
Island in Talbot County. However, they are not regular visitors to
DC. The only previous accepted record of BROWN PELICAN in
DC was for an East Potomac Park sighting in March of 2004.
• Even in the midst of summer heat and dense tourist
traffic a few birders still slip over to Ocean City just to check
things out. On June 25 Jeff Culler and Joe Hanfman of Co-
lumbia, Howard County, made such a visit and amongst other
sightings they found two GULL-BILLED TERNS. Both were
on Skimmer Island, which is being gradually expanded with
additional sand after erosion had brought the size below suit-
able dimensions for the nesting species that have traditionally
been found there. On July 13 Mike Burchett of Ocean Pines
reported another GULL-BILLED TERN at Skimmer Island.
This one was flying around the western side of the island, and
some photos were successfully attained.
They Secret MO S V> acKmcurJ y Warbler
field/ Trip by PhClVaA/Ly
What? You didn’t get a phone call in the middle of the night telling
you to be ready to leave at dawn and swearing you to secrecy? Talk
about “managing rarities,” how would you like to have served as
the gatekeeper for this “mega” rarity sighting, less than three miles
from the Maryland border? Enough of the tease, the story can now
be told . . .
Discovery of a Bachman’s Warbler near Lorton, VA.
Primarily a Summary of the Published Accounts of Barnes
(1954) and Murray (1954).
On Saturday, May 8, 1954, Audubon Society of the District of
Columbia members Harriet Sutton (1920-2000) and Morgan
Gilbert were counting birds for the annual May Count at
“Lebanon,” the 458 acre private estate and nature sanctuary of Dr.
and Mrs. Paul Bartsch on Mason Neck, near Lorton, VA, about five
miles from Mount Vernon. Prowling through the swampy lowlands
and stumbling through the slick mud and poison ivy along Pohick
Creek, they heard a strange bird song. They located the bird,
checked their field guides, and confirmed that the singing was from
a male Bachman’s Warbler ( Vermivora bachmanii ), at the time, the
rarest songbird in North America and now presumed to be extinct.
Sutton and Gilbert notified Audubon Society President Irston R.
Barnes (1904-1988) and Shirley Briggs (1918-2004) and they re-
located and observed the bird at close range the next day, Sunday,
9 May.
The following day, Monday, 10 May, the word was “out” and
birders began arriving at Lebanon at dawn seeking to add this
“mega” rarity to their life lists. Dr. Bartsch (1871-1960) decided
to take precautions to protect the bird in case it was nesting so
that it would not be driven from its territory. On Monday evening
Bartsch declared the territory along Pohick Creek closed and made
arrangements for two special guided tours, using only the trails.
The first tour was scheduled for the following Saturday, 15 May
and the second a week later on 22 May.
On Thursday, 1 3 May, Barnes called noted ornithologist Dr. Arthur
A. Allen (1884-1964) at Cornell University and told him about
the bird. Allen was about to depart for a trip to Hudson Bay but
decided to detour in the hope of securing the first recording of a
Bachman’s singing. Allen arrived on Friday afternoon, 14 May,
and Edwin G. Davis guided Allen and his assistant, Dr. Paul
Kellogg (1899-1975), to the bird; however, this was one of the
few days it was not singing.
The following day, Saturday 1 5 May, Briggs guided Allen and
Kellogg back in to the swamp and despite some challenges (rain,
aircraft overhead, nearby Army artillery practice, and leaving a
second reel of tape in the car) useful recordings were obtained.
The guided tours ended later that day after enabling several more
Society members to see and hear the bird. The area was then
closed again for another week.
The annual Society picnic was held the following Saturday, 22
May, at Lebanon and was attended by about 200 members and
friends. About one third of the guest were guided to the edge of
the bird’s territory. Everyone was able to hear him sing and at
least one-third reported fleeting glimpses.
The first day the bird was sighted, Sutton glimpsed a bird that
could have been a female and on the next day, 9 May, Barnes
observed, but could not identify, a small warbler that associated
with the male Bachman’s. During the last tour on 22 May, several
members observed what seemed to be a female Bachman’s about
eight feet from the male. It followed the male when it flew off.
Although most of the field marks noted seemed to indicate
a female Bachman’s, not all critical details were observed.
However, neither a mate nor nesting were ever confirmed, despite
the bird’s three and a half week stay and steady vocalization.
Since the bird had now been on territory for at least two weeks,
it was decided to establish a daily watch to try and observe
nesting behavior, a female, young, or to discover a nest location.
Observers were given strict location assignments and procedures
for note-taking. From 26 May through 2 Jun, watches were
conducted by Society members, including the MOS’s Robert E.
Stewart.
Each time the bird was observed, it’s behavior was described as
being consistent until 30 May when it appeared to become more
continued on page 12
12
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Bachman ’s continued from page 11
nervous and less persistent in its singing. Throughout the period,
the bird endured gunfire sounds from Fort Belvoir and military
operations across the creek. On 1 Jun, the bird abruptly departed.
At 10:15 am, Karl Trever was observing the bird when four men
appeared across the creek with a truck and a pumper. As soon as
the engine started pumping, the bird stopped singing and flew off
into the woods away from the creek. Trever remained until 3:15
pm, but did not see or hear the bird again. The bird was not found
the next day and a final check was conducted on 5 Jun.
Barnes first publically told the story of the bird in his 20 Jun
weekly column in the Washington Post and Times Herald, “Rarest
of Warblers Quits Virginia Claim.” UPI picked up the story, which
was subsequently published in newspapers around the country.
the people with me all heard it. When I typed up my notes, I
made a carbon copy as I thought you might be interested in it.
I’m enclosing it herewith. At the moment, the chances of seeing
the bird and particularly of having a chance to study it seem rather
remote. John Aldrich went over yesterday before the ban was
imposed and could not find it because it stopped singing about
11 a.m. If the Saturday tours, in small groups, start at 10 a.m., it
may be that only the first few parties will heard the bird sing; and
judging from our experience today, few people will actually see
it because it was too far from the path (and no one is permitted
off the path). Perhaps conditions will be better on Saturday, but
I’d hate to have a lot of hopeful people come down on a special
trip from New York and New England and have many of them be
disappointed. I just thought I’d warn you what the set-up is.
Sincerely,
Chan
The Secret MOS Field Trip
In 2012, while researching the
Patuxent Wildlife Research
Center archives for historical
records of interest to the MD/
DC Records Committee, I came
across a previously unpublished
letter dated 11 May 1954 from
Chan Robbins to Carol S. Roesler,
who was, at the time, writing a
book (however, never published)
on warblers.
Robbins wrote:
Breeding
Wintering
Dear Carol:
Here’s the latest on the Bachman’s.
The entire area where the bird
was seen was closed yesterday
afternoon and no one is permitted
to enter except on guided tours on
May 1 5 and May 22 beginning at
10 a.m.
Since the bird remains in a r
single small area, and since the [
newspaper and TV publicity
given this warbler is bound to
bring a deluge of birders from all
over the Northeast, they feel it
is essential to refuse admittance
except at these specified times.
They are hoping the bird has a nest, although no evidence has
been produced as yet.
Dr. Bartsch has not yet seen the bird himself as he has been ill, but
he hopes to get down on Saturday.
A few of us went over this morning, not knowing that the area had
been closed. We were permitted to go to other parts of the estate,
and observed some 25 species of warblers. Dr. Bartsch hoped
that we could come back on Saturday and see the Bachman’s, but
that’s the date of the annual convention of the M.O.S.
The rest of this letter must be considered confidential, at least
until all the fuss over this bird blows over. I did see the bird and
So, an MOS group did see the bird on Monday, 10 May, a fact
which was sworn to secrecy since the area was “officially”
closed that day. Clearly Bartsch, Robbins, et al. did not want
to acknowledge that an exception to the closed policy had been
granted. In Jan 2012, 1 congratulated Robbins on seeing the bird,
and stated that Roger Tory Peterson must surely be jealous, and
queried him for any additional details on this sighting. He replied
with the following:
continued on page 13
September/October 2012
13
Bachman ’s continued from page 12
23 Jan 2012: Robbins to Davis:
Hello, Phil ...
Here’s the rest of the Bartsch Bachman’s story.
You know we were all sworn to secrecy, but all of the parties are
now deceased.
Paul Bartsch gave me permission to take a small group of
Baltimore MOS folks to see the Bachman’s Warbler-as long as
we stayed on the trail and did nothing to disturb the bird and did
not breath a word to anyone. So on May 11, 1954 I took about
five Baltimore people to hear it sing; the bird was a little bit off
the trail so I couldn’t promise anyone they would actually see it.
Attached is a copy of the notes I took. I sent a copy of these notes
to Stuart and Carol Roesler, who were writing a book on warblers
at that time. Unfortunately that book was never published. So
except for the Roeslers (almost 60 years ago) you are the first
person to see these notes.
Chan
The following are Robbins’ attached notes on his sighting, also
never previously published:
NOTES ON BACHMAN’S WARBLER
Dr. Paul Bartsch’s estate “Lebanon”, Gunston Hall Road, Lorton,
Virginia
May 11, 1954 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., EDT
Singing male observed in moist floodplain habitat with dense
understory, within 50 to 200 yards of Pohick Creek.
It sang almost continuously while we were there, generally
giving 6 songs per minute, but occasionally omitting one-that
is, giving them at the same rate of 6 per minute, but leaving out
one of the six utterances.
The song was first recognized at a distance of about 150 yards,
by its Parula-like form, but unmusical quality and unchanging
pitch. In rhythm it was very similar to the common ‘broken’
song of the Parula Warbler-the song which might be described
as a series of separate notes, each a half tone higher than the
preceding one; not the single rising trill. The pitch, however,
remained constant. Although the quality bore a resemblance
to the Worm-eating Warbler’s song, it struck me as even more
similar to the quality of the Golden-wing. It was as though a
Golden-wing omitted the first (the higher) note of its song and
instead sang 7 or 8 short, rapid notes. To my ear, the pitch of the
last part of the Golden-wing song would fit the Bachman’s very
closely. The Bachman’s gave the impression of being distinctly
lower pitched than a Prairie Warbler that was singing in a nearby
brushy area across the creek. The Bachman’s song ranged in
length from 6 to 9 notes, the last one or two notes frequently
sounding a little less intense than the others. They were sung so
rapidly that it took a bit of concentration to be able to obtain an
accurate count. The majority of the time the song was a simple
succession of similar notes, but occasionally the bird would add
a very short clear high-pitched note at the end of the song, and
for several successive times would include this same ending.
Although contrasting in quality with the buzzy quality of the rest
of the song, the single clear note at the end was not so loud as the
rest of the song and could easily escape detection; the final clear
note was not heard at all when the bird was more than 1 00 or 1 50
yards away. This final clear note reminded me a little of the quiet
little chip of a Tufted Titmouse, but it was not so similar that it
could be confused with it.
I saw the bird for only about a minute. It was perched in a bare
spot on a small branch 20 to 25 feet off the ground, and did not
change position except to turn occasionally to one side. It was
singing at the usual rate but was not feeding. It finally made two
short flights, perhaps after insects, and disappeared from sight.
When heard from a distance of 100 to 200 yards there were
frequently abrupt changes in volume as though the bird made a
long flight between successive songs. Since the change was in
intensity rather than in direction, and since the people who saw
the bird on earlier occasions said it always stayed very close to
the same place, I’m inclined to believe that the bird changed the
direction in which it was facing and that this change produced the
observed effect.
Chandler S. Robbins
Patuxent Research Refuge
Laurel, Maryland
5/11/54
Later (on 26 Jan 2012), Robbins commented to me in response
to a query, “ I did not write down the names of the Baltimore
MOS folks. Most likely Erana Lubbert, Gladys Cole, and Alice
Kaestner (Peter’s aunt) were among them but I can’t say for sure.”
MOS Baltimore Bird Club member Erana Lubbert (1901-2002)
later told Joy Wheeler (Wheeler 2001) about adding Bachman’s
Warbler to her life list at Bartsch’s estate, where she gathered with
continued on page 14
14
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Bachman ’s continued from page 13
other birders to see the bird. Long-time Maryland birders Hank
and Peter Kaestner do not have any direct recollection of their
Aunt Alice talking about this bird, but they believe that Gladys
Cole (1909-1995) may have mentioned it.
I think we can now all agree that Chan Robbins can keep a secret!
Post Scripts
• Dr. Paul Bartsch (1871-1960), the long-serving curator
of mollusks at the Smithsonian Institution, was originally an
ornithologist and a traditional general naturalist who was the first
bona fide bird bander in North America. He never lost his interest
in birds. Bartsch retired from the Smithsonian to the Lebanon
estate in 1946 and, unfortunately, when the Bachman’s was found,
Bartsch was too old and too weak to come out and see it (fide
Meanley in Rankin 1996).
• The Lebanon plantation/estate, located on Pohick Bay,
across from Fort Belvoir, is now part of the Pohick Bay Regional
Park, Fairfax County, Virginia. When Bartsch was alive, Fort
Belvoir partnered with him to make the upper part of Pohick Bay
into a wildlife sanctuary.
• There are three other prior Bachman’s Warbler records
for Virginia; however, this was the northernmost record for this
species, except for a record of a pair in Indianapolis, about 60
miles further north, in May 1917.
• John Terborgh, who saw the 1954 bird, later wrote
(Terborgh 1998), “I later learned that a Bachman’s Warbler,
presumably the same bird, reappeared on the banks of Pohick
Creek during the next two springs. There was never a hint of a
female, and indeed, the extraordinary vocal exertions of the male
suggested that he was in search of a mate.” The Virginia “Gold
Book” (Rottenborn and Brinkley 2007) also reported “one singing
male in the same yard at the edge of Ft. Belvoir, 10-31 May 1958.
may have been the same individual present in 1954 (although
there is no record of whether it was present in the intervening
years.)”
Natural History Notes
• Bachman’s Warbler was discovered by Dr. John
Bachman, a Lutheran minister of Charleston, South Carolina,
who took a specimen near that city in July, 1833. He showed
the specimen to his great friend, John James Audubon, who then
named the bird after the minister. It was not seen again anywhere
until Charles S. Galbraith, a millinery collector, took a specimen
53 years later at Lake Pontchartrain, near New Orleans.
• Bachman’s was one of our smallest warblers, only 4-1/4
inches in length.
• The species nested in deep swamps and was very local in
its distribution and was said to spend the winter in western Cuba
and the Isle of Pines, migrating through Florida and the Keys.
• Although questions and controversies surround later
sightings, most authorities believe that the last individual was
confirmed alive in 1961 and that Bachman’s Warbler is probably
extinct.
• Some USFWS references indicated that the northern
range of Bachman’s Warbler included southern Maryland. I
diligently tracked down the possible sources for this statement,
but no definitive statements were ever located to suggest that the
species was ever reported in Maryland. It appears that the Maryland
reference stems from Barnes’ 1954 article and his description of
the Pohick Creek habitat which was then extrapolated by others
to extend to suitable matching habitat from across the Potomac
River in Maryland. Unfortunately, this erroneous Maryland
range description has now been propagated into other published
Bachman’s Warbler species accounts.
Related Factoids
• Bachman’s Warbler is pronounced “BACK man’s” -
that’s the family pronunciation.
• Bachman’s Warbler is the one species in his own North
American field guides that Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996)
never saw. Peterson wrote earlier in 1948, “I do not know a man
in America who can show me a Bachman’s Warbler.”
• In 2001, Marshall Iliff had developed a Maryland “10
more miles” list of species that would be added to the Maryland
list if our border was extended by ten miles all around. He did
not include Bachman’s Warbler on that list, but the Pohick Creek
bird was less than three miles from the Maryland boundary at the
western edge of the Potomac River.
Acknowledgements. Thanks are extended to the following:
Chan Robbins for providing his notes and background information
and his permission to publish this story; Dave Bridge for reviewing
the article and providing some missing historical dates; and to Paul
Hamel for his comments on the historical range of this species.
Literature Cited:
Barnes, Irston R. 1954. A new look at Bachman’s Warbler.
Atlantic Naturalist 9:18-30. Audubon Society of the District of
Columbia.
Iliff, Marshall J. 2001. Maryland’s Next Ten Species. The
Maryland Yellowthroat. Maryland Ornithological Society.
Murray, J.J. 1954. A warbler makes the news. The Raven 25(5-
6):79-80. The Virginia Society of Ornithology.
Peterson, Roger Tory. 1948. Birds Over America. Dodd, Mead
and Company, New York. 342 pp.
Rankin, Richard (editor). 1996. North Carolina nature writing:
Four centuries of personal narratives and descriptions. John F.
Blair, publisher. 272 pp.
Rottenborn, Stephen C. and Edward S. Brinkley 2007. Virginia ’s
Birdlife, an Annotated Checklist 4th edition. Virginia Society of
Ornithology.
Terborgh, John. 1980. Where have all the birds gone? Princeton
University Press. 207 pp.
Wheeler, Joy. 2001. Erana Lubbert’s 100th Birthday. Chip Notes:
The newsletter of the Baltimore Bird Club. Dec 2001 -Jan 2002.
Baltimore Bird Club.
Phil is the Secretary of the MD/DC Records Committee.
September/October 2012
15
Mid-Atlantic Young Birder Conference
September 22
The Delaware Dunlins Youth Birders Club will play host to a very
special event this fall: the first-ever Mid- Atlantic Young Birder
Conference. The event is organized by the American Birding
Association (ABA) and will be held on Saturday, September 22 at
the Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin, Delaware.
The conference will provide an outstanding opportunity for young
birders to meet other youth that share their passion for birds. A
variety of activities throughout the day will connect youth to
birding in an educational and inspirational way. Nationally-
known youth birding advocate Bill Thompson III (editor of Bird
Watcher’s Digest) will be a presenter, along with Marie McGee,
the 2012 Young Birder of the Year. And we will be anticipating a
great showing of raptors during this peak of Broad- winged Hawk
migration!
The attached flyers provide basic information about the event. The
registration fee is just $25 for a full day of programming- quite
a bargain! To register, you may contact our own Bill Stewart,
who is organizing this event for the ABA. Bill’s email address is:
bstewart@aba.org Sign up soon- space is very limited.
Hope to see you at this event in September!
Maryland Biodiversity Project
By Bill Hubick
A new project was started in June 2012 that will be of interest
to many Maryland birders and other naturalists. Jim Brigh-
ton and I have created a web site called “Maryland Biodiver-
sity” that intends to thoroughly catalog all the living things
in Maryland. In just over a month, the site features checklists
listing over 4,000 species including all of Maryland’s birds,
mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, dragonflies, bees,
and even most Maryland’s plants.
The site features photos of over 1,000 species, contributed
by more than 30 photographers. The site is designed to allow
maximum participation from the Maryland natural history
community and we believe it will become an indispensable
resource for Maryland nature lovers. Check it out at www.
marylandbiodiversity.com.
Editor’s and Designer’s Note
This is the first issue of the Yellowthroat for which Richard
Donham and Eric Skrzypczak are serving as the Editor and
Designer. We are proud to be a part of the talented team that
writes, assembles and delivers the Yellowthroat to you. We
believe that the Yellowthroat knits together Maryland birders
by serving as a means of communication, education, and
enjoyment for all who love birds and the natural world.
Lydia Schindler and Sue Probst served as Editor and Designer
for the past 8 years. Their dedication and skill in these tasks
is reflected in the extraordinary quality and usefulness of the
newsletter during that period. Both Richard and Eric feel the
obligation to strive to emulate their professionalism as we
look forward.
Ultimately, the Yellowthroat is a product of the MOS
membership. All the items are written by members who have
busy lives full of deadlines and commitments. Without their
contributions, the newsletter would not exist. Through their
contributions you find out about what has been going on,
what birds have been seen by whom and where, what issues
are percolating that affect our community, what events and
opportunities will be happening, and how to become more
involved when you are ready.
We hope and expect that the Yellowthroat will continue to be
a vital part of the birding community in the region and that
you will join us to help make it serve our needs as birders.
Richard Donham and Eric Skrzypczak
16
The Maryland Yellowthroat
MOS CaleirirJ.
ar
Saturday, September 1
n Anne Arundel. Wooten’s Landing.
Half day. Located in southwest AA
County, Wooten’s Landing is an excellent
place to see many bird species. There are
hedgerows and fields, mature forests, and
freshwater swamp created by beavers.
Most trails are grass covered and easy to
follow, with one steep climb and some
sections may be muddy. Recommend
boots and insect repellant. Meet 8 AM
at Parole P&R located on Harry Truman
Pkwy, between Riva Rd and South Haven
Rd. Leader: Kathie Lambert, kbert59@
yahoo.com.
h Cecil. Turkey Point Migrants and
Hawk Watch Kickoff. Join us for the
traditional kick-off to the annual Turkey
Point Hawk Watch, which runs every
day from Labor Day weekend through
Thanksgiving. Walk through the woods
and fields for migrant songbirds. The pace
will be leisurely. Most of the walking is
on a gravel road with good footing, but
there are hilly sections. Bring drinks
and/or snacks. Meet 7 AM at the Turkey
Point parking lot. Leader: Sean “Bird
Dog” McCandless, seanmccandlessl@
comcast.net.
ANNUAL FALL PICNIC/SOCIAL.
Harford. Starting at 2 PM at the Eden
Mill Pavilion. Info: Dennis Kirkwood,
newarkfarms@gmail.com.
it Howard. Butterflies through
Binoculars. Lake Elkhom Powerline
Vegetation Management Study Tract.
Meet 9:30 AM at Elkhorn Garden Plots,
Oakland Mills Rd opposite Dasher
Ct. Enjoy searching for late- summer
butterflies, and receive expert instruction
on their identification. Easy walking.
Bring close-focus binoculars to view
nectaring behavior, but Dick will also
use net and jars to provide brief close-
up examinations. Cancelled if raining
or overcast. No facilities. Leader: Dick
Smith, 410-997-7439.
ft Indicates Field Trip
ft Kent. Beginner’s Bird Walk:
Chestertown area. We’ll take a leisurely
pace visiting woodlands, fields, and
small ponds looking for late-season
breeding birds and early autumn migrants
such as warblers, vireos, swallows, and
flycatchers. Meet 8 AM at the Dollar
General parking lot (off Philosopher’s
Terr) in Chestertown. If you have
questions, please contact the trip leaders:
Walter Ellison and Nancy Martin, 410-
778-9568 or rossgull@baybroadband.
net.
ft Patuxent. Fran Uhler NA. Meet 7:30
AM at the end of Lemon Bridge Rd off
MD 197, just north of Bowie State U.
and the MARC line. No reservations
required. If you have questions, contact
trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.
com.
Sunday, September 2
n Baltimore. Cylburn Self-guided
Walk. Meet 8:30 AM at the Vollmer
Center parking lot (4915 Greenspring
Ave) for easy birding in Cylburn’ s
gardens and urban forest. Beginning
birders welcome. No designated leader.
Coordinator: Joe Lewandowski, 410-
358-7834 or ilenel@juno.com.
ft Talbot. Tilghman’s Island in search
of late local nesting species, plus early
arriving south bound transient swallows,
flycatchers, vireos, and warblers. Leader:
Jan Reese, 410-745-2875. Depart St.
Michael’s Village Shopping Center 7
AM.
Monday, September 3
ft Harford. Ma and Pa Trail. We
return to this newest segment of Harford
Co’s iconic rails-to-trails Ma and Pa
conversion project. Diverse habitat along
the way promises a variety of birds. Meet
at Annie’s playground on Smith Ln off
Connolly Rd in Fallston at 7:30 AM. The
leader is Susan Hood, 410-877-0574 or
susanjhood@comcast.net.
Tuesday, September 4
ft Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park (aka
Lake Roland). Continuing series of
casual fall walks to follow the progress
of fall migration. Beginning birders
welcome. The park has a variety of
habitats including fields, stream-side
woods, and hillside forest. Expect a
variety of migrant and resident birds.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: Ruth Culbertson,
410-825-1379 or ruthec@verizon.net.
MEETING. Baltimore. Tuesday Evening
Lecture at Cylburn, 4915 Greenspring
Ave. Tonight: “A Birding Trip to Central
and Eastern Australia,” with Gary Van
Velsir. Doors open at 7 PM for socializing
and snacks, show starts about 7:15 PM.
Info: Pete Webb, 443-904-6314 (cell) or
pete_webb@juno.com.
Wednesday, September 5
ft Baltimore. First Wednesdays at Fort
McHenry. A continuing series of monthly
morning surveys of bird activity at the
Fort and wetland. Scope can be useful.
Cancelled in inclement weather. Meet
8 AM in the park, outside the Visitor
Center. Leader: Mary Chetelat, 410-665-
0769.
MEETING. Cecil. Speaker: Doug
Tallamy , U of DE, will speak about
attracting birds and butterflies to our
gardens. 7 PM at Elkton HS, 110 James
St, Elkton, Rm B120. For more info,
contact Maryanne Dolan, maryanne.
dolan@gmail.com.
A Montgomery. Little Bennett RP. Half
day. Meet 7:30 AM to bird some of the
trails of Little Bennett RP for migrant
and resident birds. Expect to walk 2-3
miles on gravel and dirt trails, with some
uphill. Beginners welcome! Reservations
required. Limit: 8. For reservations and
directions, contact the Leader: Claire
Wolfe, 301-972-4278 or c_wolfe2003@
yahoo.com.
Thursday, September 6
MEETING. Frederick. Speakers:
Kevin Heffernan and Karen Darcy.
Program: “Birding South Florida and
the Dry Tortugas.” 7 PM at Homewood
at Crumland Farms (7407 Willow Rd)
in Frederick. For info, contact Bob
Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@
F rederickBirdC lub . org .
continued on page 1 7
September/October 2012
17
Calendar continued from page 16
fft Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther
Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with
PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at
Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn
Heights. No reservations needed. Call
David Mozurkewich, 301-459-3375 for
more info.
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
Friday, September 7
MEETING. Anne Arundel. This
welcome back meeting will include
several interesting activities, including
slide show presentations of birds and
animals that Club members have seen
on their travels plus a discussion and
demonstration on bins, scopes, and other
birding equipment, plus a kids’ comer of
activities, and a donation table of items
for sale to raise funds for the Club. 7:30
PM at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education
Center, 975 Indian Landing Rd,
Millersville. Contact Barbara Johnson at
barbarajohnson222@gmail.com or 410-
224-3339 if you would like to present a
slide show or have questions concerning
donations. Optional beginner’s bird walk
at 6:30 PM starting at the Arlington Echo
Field House.
ft Frederick. First-Friday Trip. Leader
and destination TBA. Meet at 8 AM
at Culler Lake in Baker Park to join
this half-day trip. For info, contact
Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@
FrederickBirdClub.org.
Saturday, September 8
A Anne Arundel. Half-day. Naval
Academy Dairy Farm (Gambrills).
The 865-acres farm offers farmland,
fields, and treelines for bird habitat. We
should see early fall migrants, especially
sparrows. Meet at the farm’s gravel
lot at 7 AM. From MD 175, make the
exit on to Dairy Ln. Leader: Dan Haas,
nervousbirds@gmail . com .
fft Baltimore. Quarry Lake. This is a
new walk we are introducing in what has
proven to be a very “birdy” area. The
n Indicates Field Trip
walk around the lake is about 2 miles
on level, often paved, pathways with
excellent views down (not up!) into the
treetops surrounding Quarry Lake. Meet
8 AM at the benches where the 3 flags are
flying on Quarry Lake Dr. Excellent food
shops available for a snack/lunch after
the walk, if interested. Leaders: Joany
Heilman, 410-486-2719 or jehellman@
comcast.net and Co-leader: Debbie Terry,
410-252-8771 or dterryl2@verizon.net.
n Howard. Rockburn Branch Park.
Meet 8 AM in parking lot on the left
just past the restored schoolhouse. The
park gate is just beyond Rockburn ES.
Moderate walking through the woods
and fields of our largest county park
looking for migrants. Paths may be
muddy. Facilities available. Leaders:
Karen Darcy and Kevin Heffernan, 410-
418-8731 orKJHeff@aol.com.
MOS BOARD MEETING. 10 AM.
Hosted by the Allegany/Garrett Bird
Club, Rocky Gap SP. Contact Janet
Shields, MOS Secretary at janetbill@
prodigy.net for add’l info.
Sunday, September 9
PICNIC Allegany/Garrett. 1 PM at
Carey Run Sanctuary. Please come out
and meet and socialize with your fellow
members. We will hold an informal
meeting and a walk around the Blue Bird
trail. The Club will provide a meat platter,
and bottled water. Please bring a covered
dish to share. Contact George and Barb
Gaffney, gaff4109@hughes.net or Joe
and Carol McDaniel, mcdanieljandc@
gmail.com for more info.
n Baltimore. Marshy Point Nature
Center. Half-day trip for early waterfowl,
raptors, passerines. Half-mile trail leads
to point overlooking Dundee Crk. Boots
advisable, scopes useful. Meet 9 AM.
Leaders: Bob Rineer, 410-252-6408 or
rrineerl@jhmi.edu, and Brent and Mary
Byers, 410-626-7294 or baypuffin@
hotmail.com.
n Caroline. Camp Todd Girl Scout
Camp, 25012 Beauchamp Branch Rd.
Meet at the camp’s parking area near the
ranger’s home at 8 AM. Leader: Debby
Bennett, dabennettl996@gmail.com.
n Harford. Perryville and North East
Community Parks. Take advantage of
the two hot spots and meet leaders Dave
Larkin, 410-569-8319 or larkin3001@
comcast.net and Phil Powers, 410-679-
4116 or birdsinmd@verizon.net at 7 AM
at the P&R at MD Rtes 1 55 and 1-95.
n Howard. Middle Patuxent EA.
Meet 7:30 AM at the Clegg Meadow
off Southwind Cir, Columbia. Moderate
walking through wooded trails and
along the river. Great area for migrants
of all species. Field edges and thickets
provide sparrow habitat. If time and
birds warrant, we will also do the Trotter
Rd Loop. Prepare for wet grass and mud
on the trails. No facilities. Leader: Joe
Hanfman, aukl844@comcast.net or 410-
772-8424.
A Montgomery. Upper Watts Branch
Park. Half day. Migrant warblers, vireos,
thrushes, andassortedwoodlandresidents.
Meet 8 AM at corner of Princeton PI and
Fordham St. Reservations
required. Limit: 12. Leader: Paul
O’Brien, 301-424-6491.
n Talbot. Tilghman’s Island in search
of late local nesting species, plus early
arriving south bound transient swallows,
flycatchers, vireos, and warblers. Leader:
Jan Reese, 410-745-2875. Depart St.
Michael’s Village Shopping Center 7
AM.
Tuesday, September 1 1
n Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park
(aka Lake Roland). See Sep 4 listing.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: John Landers, 410-
426-3374 or dadolbw@aol.com.
MEETING. Kent. Program and
speaker TBA. 7:30 PM, Wesley Hall
at Heron Point, off East Campus Ave,
Chestertown. If you have questions,
please contact Walter Ellison and Nancy
Martin, 410-778-9568 or rossgull@
baybroadband.net.
A Montgomery. Poplar Island Boat
Trip. The trip is free but there is a limit
on the number of seats. Reservations
are ESSENTIAL and are on a first-come
first-served basis. Limit: 18. Meet at
continued on page 18
18
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Calendar continued from page 1 7
8:45 AM on Tilghman I. Park in lot at
end of Chicken Point Rd. We will be on
the island for about four hours; the boat
will return at 1 PM. Restrooms on the
island. Suggest bringing lunch/drinks,
snacks and bug spray. For reservations
and questions, contact the leader: Mike
Bowen at 301-530-5764 or dhmbowen@
yahoo.com.
MEETING. Patuxent. Bruce Peterjohn
from PWRC will summarize our current
knowledge of the status of hummingbirds
across the mid-Atlantic region with an
emphasis on wintering species. 7:30
PM at the College Park Airport Annex,
College Park, MD. For add’l info call
301-459-3375 or go to http://www.
pgaudubon . org / programs . html .
Thursday, September 13
MEETING. Howard. “Birding Beringia
for a Month: The Far Side of Alaska,”
by Jay Sheppard , retired US FWS
ornithologist. Hospitality 7:30 PM;
meeting/program 8 PM at Robinson
Nature Center, 6692 Cedar Lane,
Columbia. Info: Wes Earp, 410-531-
3197.
A Montgomery. Rock Creek Park, DC.
One-third day. Same great birds: migrant
warblers, vireos, and sparrows. Meet at 7
AM at Picnic Area 1 8 (on Ridge Rd, half-
mile below the Nature Center). Note the
earlier meeting time necessary to secure
a parking spot. Reservations required.
For reservations and directions, call the
leader: Wallace Kornack, 202-338-7859.
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
MEETING. Talbot. 7 PM at Wm. Hill
Manor 501 Dutchman’s Ln, Easton.
Speaker and topic TBA.
Saturday, September 15
ft Anne Arundel. Pickering Creek. Half
to all-day. Relatively flat, grass covered
trails, but they can be muddy. Meet 7 AM
at Bay 50 Shopping Center located off
Rte 50 on Whitehall Rd. Leader: TBD
n Indicates Field Trip
(in the meantime, contact Kevin Smith at
ravens3 07 7 @y ahoo . com.
n Baltimore. Saturday Monitoring
Walks at Fort McHenry. Continuing
survey of bird activity at the Fort and
wetland. Cancelled in inclement weather.
Meet 8 AM in the park, outside the
Visitor Center. Leader: Ben Poscover,
410-882-1309 or bfposcov@verizon.net.
A Montgomery. Snickers Gap, VA.
Two-thirds day. Joint trip with ANS.
Migrant songbird watching at 8 AM
along nearby Appalachian Trail, migrant
raptors possible starting at 9:30 AM. Meet
place/time: 8 AM at commuter parking
lot at VA Rtes 7 and 601 (9:30 AM meet
time for raptors). Make reservation with
leaders Joan Boudreau and Bob Abrams,
703-734-1238. Bring tripods, scopes,
chairs, lunch, and rain/wind gear.
FALL COUNT. Baltimore. We will tally
all birds seen within the City and County
during this calendar day. Birders of all
levels of experience are welcome and
urged to participate. To avoid duplication
of counting, contact compiler Joel
Martin, 410-744-9211 or jcdlmartin@
aol.com, for area assignment.
FALL COUNT. Caroline. Contact Debby
Bennett at dabennettl996@gmail.com to
help out.
FALL COUNT. Frederick. Compiler:
Michael Welch, 301-685-3561 or
manddwelch@comcast . net .
FALL COUNT. Howard. Compiler:
Mike McClure, 410-531-2780 or
Michael.McClure@jhuapl.edu.
Please go to the following link to sign up.
http : //howardbirds . org/howard/counts .
htm.
FALL COUNT. Carroll. Compiler: Don
Jewell, 410-259-4716 or jewelldg@
gmail.com.
FALL COUNT. Harford. Compiler:
Rick Cheicante, 410-803-2712,
rickcheicante@cs . com.
FALL COUNT. Dorchester: Compiler:
Harry Armistead, 215-248-4120,
harryarmistead@hotmail.com.
FALL COUNT. Washington. Compiler:
Doris Berger, 301-739-8907 or dberger@
md.net.
n Patuxent. Governor Bridge NA.
Joint trip with PGAS. Meet 7:30 AM at
the parking lot for Governor Bridge Park.
No reservations required. Park is located
on Governor Bridge Rd, approximately
1 mile east of MD 301. If you have
questions, contact trip leader Bill Sefton
at kiwisuits@msn.com.
Sunday, September 1 6
n Baltimore. Cromwell Valley Park.
First in a series of casual fall walks to
follow the progress of migration this
season. Beginning Birders Welcome. The
park has a variety of habitats including
fields, stream-side woods, and hillside
forest. Expect a variety of migrant and
resident birds. Meet 8 AM. Directions: At
the Willow Grove Farm Entrance, follow
road, cross a small bridge, and park in lot
on left. Leader: Maryanne Fluke, 443-
690-4319 or mfluke62@gmail.com.
n Harford. Susquehanna SP. Visit
a prime Harford Co birding spot. The
various habitats found here attract a
diverse variety of passerines, raptors,
and waterfowl. Meet at 8 AM at the Rock
Run Mill. Led by Les Eastman, 410-734-
6969 or les@birdtreks.com.
A Montgomery. Rock Creek Park, DC.
One-third day. Same great birds: migrant
warblers, vireos, and sparrows. Meet at
6:45 AM at Picnic Area 18 (on Ridge
Rd, half-mile below the Nature Center).
Note the earlier meeting time necessary
to secure a parking spot. Reservations
required. For reservations and directions,
call the leader: Wallace Kornack, 202-
338-7859.
FALL COUNT Allegany/Garrett.
Chuck Hager will be the compiler for the
22nd annual Fall Count. Contact Chuck
at 301-689-5344 or drhager@verizon.net
for area assignments.
FALL COUNT. Anne Arundel. Birders
of all levels are encouraged to participate
in this day-long activity. Contact Dave
Gillum at 410-266-8775 or dagmapper@
verizon.net to coordinate your counting
location.
continued on page 19
September/October 2012
19
Calendar continued from page 18
FALL COUNT. Kent. Full day. Help us
count birds in as much of Kent Co as
possible in a single day; join a field party
or cover your neighborhood anywhere
in the county. Contact one of the leaders
for more info. Leaders: Walter Ellison
and Nancy Martin, 410-778-9568 or
rossgull@baybroadband.net.
FALL COUNT. Calvert. Compiler:
Sherman Suter, 202-326-6523 or ssuter@
aaas.org.
FALL COUNT. Prince George’s.
Compiler: Dave Mozurkewich, 301-459-
3375, mozurk@bellAtlantic.net.
ft Talbot. Tilghman’s Island. Potential
for 10-12 species of warbler, other
possible migrants include both kinglets,
several flycatcher species, vireos,
grosbeaks, and we will search the bay for
terns, gulls, and Brown Pelicans. Leader:
Vince DeSanctis, 410-886-2009. Depart
St. Michael’s Village Shopping Center 7
AM.
Tuesday, September 18
ft Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park
(aka Lake Roland). See Sep 4 listing.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: Ron Davis, 410-821-
1297 or 2athighl@verizon.net.
Wednesday, September 19
ft Howard. Henryton Road, Patapsco
Valley SP. Meet 8 AM at bottom of
Henryton Rd at the dead end. Walk
along the Patapsco River looking for fall
migrants. Mature woodlands provide
excellent habitat for migrant thrushes.
This is prime migration time and many
species of forest birds expected. Plan for
moderate walking and possible muddy
trails areas. No facilities. Leader: Joe
Byrnes, 410-730-5329, LBRoller@
verizon.net.
MEETING. Montgomery. “Birding
Tour of Cuba.” In March 2012, Sally
Wechsler went on a 10-day birding tour
of Cuba, during which the group saw
most of Cuba’s endemic species plus
other birds, including several of “our”
wood warblers. She captured the actions
and sounds of the experience on a hand-
held video camera. 7:30 PM at Potomac
Presbyterian Church, 10301 River Rd,
Potomac. For more info contact Anna
Urciolo at urcioloa@sidwell.edu.
Thursday, September 20
MEETING. Caroline. Program:
“Chesapeake Bay Foundation: New
Bay Regulations and Chesapeake Bay
Foundation’s Efforts on the Eastern
Shore.” 7:30 PM, Caroline Co Public
Library, 100 Market St, Denton. Info:
Debby Bennett, dabennettl996@gmail.
com.
it Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther
Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with
PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at
Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn
Heights. No reservations needed. Call
David Mozurkewich, 301-459-3375 for
more info.
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
Friday, September 21
A Harford. Eden Mill Park. A bird-
banding demonstration will be followed
by a walk along Deer Creek to enjoy the
bird-rich habitats of this area. Meet at
the banding station on Eden Mill Rd at 8
AM. Info: Mark Johnson, 410-692-5978
or mark.steven.johnson@comcast.net.
Saturday, September 22
n Anne Arundel. Family Bird Walk,
Glen Artney Area (for beginners and
families). Discover the joy of bird
watching with experienced leaders.
Learn the basics of spotting and
identifying birds with ears and eyes. Wear
comfortable attire; bring water, snacks,
and binoculars, if you have them. Meet 9
AM in the parking area at Lost Lake. Park
has paved trails. Leader: Stacy Epperson,
410-987-7533 or tryswim@comcast.net.
n Anne Arundel. Bacon Ridge
(Crownsville). Our first trip to this
extensive natural property, with many
woodland species. Don’t miss this
opportunity to visit a limited-access
property of varied terrain and some
unimproved trails. Meet 7 AM at Parole
P&R located on Harry Truman Pkwy,
between Riva Rd and South Haven Rd.
Leader: Dan Haas, nervousbirds@gmail.
com.
A Baltimore. Milford Mill Park. Fall
migrant warblers, thrushes and other
songbirds at this small tract of forest
and streamside path. One-mile level
paved walking loop. Puddles could cover
parts of the path if it’s rained recently.
Meet 7:30 AM. Take Milford Mill Rd,
turn right, and right again just after the
overhead bridge into small parking lot.
Leader: Pete Webb, 443-904-6314 (cell)
or pete_webb@juno.com.
ft Frederick. Blue Mash. Birding trails
take us through meadows and forest, past
ponds with waterfowl and shorebirds.
Call leader for meeting time and location.
Leader: Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660.
ft Howard. Hawk Watch at
Meadowbrook. Meet 9:30 AM at hawk
watch site on hilltop. Bring a chair and
sustenance for however long you plan to
stay. Harry will provide tips on separating
species in flight. The park provides
paved path for walking. Ponds and great
sparrow habitat should provide other
birding opportunities. Sun protection
is recommended. Facilities available.
Cancelled in inclement weather. Leader:
Harry Fink, harry@mdphelp.com or 410-
446-4747.
A Montgomery. Patuxent River Park,
Jug Bay NA. Half day. Joint trip with
ANS. Driftboat on Patuxent River
followed by trail walk. Search for Sora,
also migrant and resident songbirds and
waterbirds. Meeting time/place: 6:30
AM at park entrance gate. Bring fee of
$5/person for park program; boat trip can
be cool and a bit damp. Leaders: Greg
Kearns and John Bjerke. Limit: 15. For
reservations, contact John Bjerke at 240-
401-1643.
A Washington. Blandy Farms and
Sky Meadows SP. Join naturalist
Margaret Wester for a walk at Blandy
Experimental Farm and visit the Red-
h Indicates Field Trip
continued on page 20
20
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Calendar continued from page 19
headed Woodpecker colony at nearby
Sky Meadows SP. Trip departs promptly
at 6:30 AM from the MVA parking lot in
Hagerstown. Call Anna Hutzell at 301-
797-8454 to register and remember to
pack a lunch for this all-day trip.
Sunday, September 23
ft Baltimore. Broad-winged Hawks at
Cromwell Valley Park. Jim Meyers will
take us for a short walk along a stream-
side path, then head up to hawk watch
site for Broadwings and other raptors.
Beginning birders welcome. Bring
lunch if you’d like to stay all day. Meet
8 AM. Directions: at the Willow Grove
Farm Entrance, follow road, cross a
small bridge, and park in lot on left.
Leader: Jim Meyers, 410-665-2440 or
j amesleomey ers @mac . com .
ft Baltimore. Chimney Swifts at dusk.
Join the BBC Swift-Watch Team for
“Swift Night Out” as Chimney Swifts
pour into one of their favorite chimneys.
This trip will meet 6:45 PM at the Home
and Hospital Center, a new location on
the edge of Robert E. Lee Park. We’re
expecting dozens or hundreds of swifts.
Come a half hour early if the weather
is cloudy or gray. Cancelled if raining.
Leader: Carol Schreter, 410-664-5151 or
C . Schreter@comcast. net.
n Caroline. Bird Banding observation
in Chestertown with Jim Gruber, Bander.
8 AM. Great for kids. Adults welcome
too. To register and for directions,
contact Danny Poet at 410-827-8651 or
birder23 1 @hotmail.com.
ft Howard. Western RP. Meet 8 AM
at Carr’s Mill Rd lot. Moderate walking
along field edges and woodland trails.
Opportunity for warblers, sparrows,
thrushes, and flyovers. Small pond may
host shorebirds. Facilities available.
Leader: Bonnie Ott, bonnieott@verizon.
net or 443-285-3302.
ft Montgomery/Anne Arundel.
Pennyfield to Violette’s Bird Stalk. Half
day. For folks who prefer a somewhat
later start to their birding, we will meet
at 9 AM at Violette’s Lock parking lot,
at the end of Violette’s Lock Rd. We
will carpool to Pennyfield Lock and
walk up the C&O Canal towpath to
Violette’s Lock. This walk should net an
interesting mix of late warblers, landbird
migrants, and probably a few first- show
winter visitors, as we scan the skies and
river for raptors and waterbirds. For
reservations, contact leader Jim Nelson
at kingfishers2@verizon.net or 301-530-
6574.
A Talbot. Taylor’s Island. Good fall
migrant trap for songbirds and usually
a good flight of migrating hawks.
Leader: Wayne Bell, 410-820-6002.
Depart Easton Acme Parking Lot 7
AM. Breakfast/lunch at Taylor’s Island
Restaurant.
Tuesday, September 25
n Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park
(aka Lake Roland). See Sep 4 listing.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: Mary Chetelat, 410-
665-0769.
MEETING. Washington. Meet at the
Mt. Aetna Nature Center, Hagerstown
at 7 PM. Speaker: Kate Weatherby.
Program: “Birding Viet Nam.” Call Anna
Hutzell at 301-797-8454 for info.
Wednesday, September 26
n Harford. Falling Branch Road.
One of Harford’s most pristine streams,
Falling Branch, will be explored on foot
with a view of the falls at the end. Expect
lots of migrant songbirds and raptors.
The leader is Dennis Kirkwood, 410-
692-5905 or dkirkw@verizon.net. Meet
in the lower parking lot of The Eden Mill
Nature Center at 7:30 AM.
Thursday, September 27
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
Friday to Sunday, September 28
to 30
n Frederick. Cape May Weekend. Cape
May can’t be beat for fall migration. We
will spend a fabulous weekend at this
birding mecca. Contact leader: Kathy
Brown, 301-865-1369 for full trip details.
Saturday to Sunday, September
29 to 30
n Talbot. Weekend trip to Kiptopeke.
Meet at the hawk watch in Kiptopeke
SP on Sat at 10:30 AM. Late Sep
can be outstanding for early morning
passerine movements as well as hawk
flights during the day. Participants will
also have the opportunity to observe
the banding operation up close. For
details on reservations, call trip leader/
coordinator Charles Hopkins, 410-763-
8742 with an assist credited to Harry
Armistead. Depart Easton Acme Parking
Lot Sat. 6:30 AM. Bring sunscreen,
insect repellant, drinks, and snacks.
Saturday, September 29
n Anne Arundel. Broad Creek Park
and Generals Highway Corridor Park
(both near Parole P&R). At Broad
Creek Park several trails weave through
wooded, hilly terrain above a stream.
Elevation changes about 100 ft. Corridor
Park has several trails around ball fields
and woods. Meet 7:30 AM at Parole
P&R located on Harry Truman Pkwy,
between Riva Rd and South Haven Rd.
Leader: Dave Gillum, 410-266-6775 or
dagmapper@verizon . net .
n Baltimore. Patterson Park. Come
see what birding action abounds amid
the varied habitats of this green oasis in
the middle of Balt. Meet (8 AM) at the
White House just inside the west edge
of the park at intersection of S. Patterson
Park Ave and Lombard St. For questions,
contact Patterson Park Audubon Center
at ppaudubon@gmail.com or 410-558-
2473.
A Harford. Harford Glen. The Glen
offers varied habitat attractive to many
avian species, especially at this migration
time. Don’t miss this prime season and
location for some great bird- watching!
Join leaders, Phil Powers, 410-679-4116
or birdsinmd@verizon.net and Ruth
Bergstrom, ruthb22@yahoo.com or 443-
752-1967 at the lower parking lot at 7:30
AM.
A Kent. Bombay Hook NWR. The salt
marshes of DE Bay host large numbers of
A Indicates Field Trip
continued on page 21
September/October 2012
21
Calendar continued from page 20
waterfowl, gulls, marshbirds, shorebirds,
and raptors. All day, bring lunch. Meet
8 AM at the Dollar General parking lot
(off Philosopher’s Terr) in Chestertown.
If you have questions, please contact the
trip leaders: Walter Ellison and Nancy
Martin, 410-778-9568 or rossgull@
baybroadband.net.
Sunday, September 30
A Baltimore. Milford Mill Park. Fall
migrant warblers, thrushes, and other
songbirds at this small tract of forest
and streamside path. One-mile level
paved walking loop. Puddles could cover
parts of the path if it’s rained recently.
Meet 7:30 AM. Take Milford Mill Rd,
turn right, and right again just after the
overhead bridge into small parking lot.
Leader: Pete Webb, 443-904-6314 (cell)
or pete_webb@juno.com.
fft Howard. Fungi Search. Explore
local parkland for a variety of fall fungi.
Site TBD. May be cancelled if weather
has been exceedingly dry. Contact Bob
and Jo Solem at odenata@msn.com for
meeting time and location.
Tuesday, October 2
fft Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park
(aka Lake Roland). See Sep 4 listing.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: Paul Noell, 410-243-
2652 or myconut@verizon.net.
MEETING. Baltimore. Tuesday Evening
Lecture at Cylburn, 4915 Greenspring
Ave. Tonight: “The 10 Most Important
Things You can do for Birds and Bird
Conservation,” with Paul Baicich. Doors
open at 7 PM for socializing and snacks,
show starts about 7:15 PM. Info: Pete
Webb, 443-904-6314 (cell) or pete_
webb@juno.com.
Wednesday, October 3
fft Baltimore. First Wednesdays at Fort
McHenry. A continuing series of monthly
morning surveys of bird activity at the
Fort and wetland. Scope can be useful.
Cancelled in inclement weather. Meet
8 AM in the park, outside the Visitor
Center. Leader: Mary Chetelat, 410-665-
0769.
h Indicates Field Trip
MEETING. Cecil. Program and Speaker:
TBA. 7 PM at Elkton HS, 110 James St,
Elkton, Rm B 120. For more info, contact
Maryanne Dolan, maryanne.dolan@
gmail.com.
Thursday, October 4
MEETING. Frederick. Dave Brinker
will tell us about “Project Owlnet.” 7
PM at Homewood at Crumland Farms
(7407 Willow Rd) in Frederick. For info,
contact Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or
Pres @F rederickBirdC lub . org .
n Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther
Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with
PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at
Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn
Heights. No reservations needed. Call
David Mozurkewich, 301-459-3375 for
more info.
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
Friday, October 5
MEETING. Anne Arundel. “Birds
and Conservation Issues Worldwide”
by Colin Rees , President, AABC. Colin
will take us on a world tour as birders,
highlighting conservation issues at global
levels and how they may be addressed
at the local level. 7:30 PM at Arlington
Echo Outdoor Education Center, 975
Indian Landing Rd, Millersville.
n Frederick. First-Friday Trip. Leader
and destination TBD. Meet at 8 AM
at Culler Lake in Baker Park to join
this half-day trip. For info, contact
Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@
Freder ickB irdC lub . org .
Saturday, October 6
n Anne Arundel. Lake Roland Park.
Habitats include woods, lake, streams,
and marsh, with waders, raptors,
shorebirds, and passerines all possible.
Meet 7 AM at Parole P&R located on
Harry Truman Pkwy, between Riva Rd
and South Haven Rd. Leader: Pete Webb.
Contact Kevin Smith at ravens3077@
yahoo.com for questions.
n Baltimore. Quarry Lake. See Sep 8
listing. Leaders: Joany Heilman, 410-
486-2719 orjehellman@comcast.net and
co-leader: Debbie Terry, 410-252-8771
or dterryl2@verizon.net.
ft Caroline. Tuckahoe SP. Leader:
Danny Poet. Meet at the Caroline Co side
of lake parking lot at 7:30 AM. Dress
comfortably and bring binoculars if you
have them. Questions, contact Danny
Poet at 410-827-8651 or birder231@
hotmail.com.
A Harford. Elk Neck SP. Visit this
woodland mecca at a time when hawks
and warblers are active. Phil Powers,
410-679-4116 or birdsinmd@verizon.
net will be leading this field trip. Meet
at 7:30 AM at the P&R at Rtes 155 and
1-95.
n Howard. University of MD, College
of Ag & Nat Res Open House and Bird
Walk. 4240 Folly Quarter Rd, Ellicott
City. Come to the Open House at the farm
and learn how our Academic, Research
and Extension programs benefit you.
Members of the HBC will be present for
field trips around the farm. 10 AM to 3
PM w/bird walks at 10:15 AM, 11:30
AM, and 12:45 PM. Leaders: Bonnie Ott,
bonnieott@verizon.net or 443-285-3302
and David Cummings, Russ Ruffing, Jo
Solem, and Wes Earp.
A Montgomery/Frederick. Lilypons
Water Gardens. Half day. Target species
include American Bittern, Nelson’s
Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and a
variety of raptors. Meet at Lilypons at
7:30 AM. Reservations required. For
reservations and directions, contact the
leader: Marcia Balestri at 301-473-5098.
A Patuxent. Fran Uhler NA. Meet 7:30
AM at the end of Lemon Bridge Rd off
MD 197, just north of Bowie State U.
and the MARC line. No reservations
required. If you have questions, contact
trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.
com.
^ YMOS. Youth birding trip to Cape
May for Hawkwatch. Contact George
Radcliffe, radclifg@gmail.com for
details if interested.
continued on page 22
22
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Calendar continued from page 21
A Washington. Washington Monument
Hawk Watch. Meet at the monument
around 9:30 AM for a morning of hawk
watching. Call Doris Berger, 301-739-
8907, for info.
Sunday, October 7
ft Baltimore. Cromwell Valley Park.
See Sep 16 listing. Leader: Maryanne
Fluke, 443-690-4319 or mfluke62@
gmail.com.
it Howard. Mt. Pleasant Farm, Howard
Co Conservancy. Meet 8 AM at parking
lot. Easy walking through the fields of Mt.
Pleasant Farm. Tree lines, hedgerows,
and streams provide opportunity for non-
meadow species. Prime time for sparrows.
Great opportunity for flyovers. Facilities
available. Leader: Scott Berglund, 410-
750-2568 or Business250@yahoo.com.
A Montgomery. Little Bennett RP. Half
day. Everyone welcome, but we’ll target
new birders and focus on some birding
basics. Join us for a slow-paced walk,
listening for and observing common
species. Late warblers and vireos, early
sparrows, and some raptors possible.
Limit: 8. For reservations, time, and
meeting place, contact the leader:
Gemma Radko at 301-514-2894.
ft Talbot. Wades Point, Claiborne.
Species likely: late migrants and
early winter arrivals. Leader: Vince
DeSanctis, 410-886-2009. Depart Easton
Acme parking lot at 7 AM. Leader will
meet group at 7:30 AM directly at the
Claiborne Pier.
Monday, October 8
h Harford. Waggoner’s Gap. Take
this Columbus Day trip to PA to explore
Waggoner’s Gap during the raptor-rich
migration period. Meet leader Mark
Johnson, 410-692-5978 or mark.steven.
johnson@comcast.net at 7 AM at Upper
Crossroads, the intersection of Rtes 152
and 165 (near Basta Pasta).
n Howard. Elkhorn Garden Plots. The
plots are on the east side of Oakland
Mills Rd opposite Dasher Ct. The Garden
Plots offer excellent opportunities for
unusual sparrows, migrant passerines,
ft Indicates Field Trip
and interesting late season butterflies.
Meet 8:30 AM. No facilities. Leader: Jim
Wilkinson, 410-381-9250.
Tuesday, October 9
MEETING. Allegany/Garrett. The
speaker will be Sara Rothamel and the
title will be “Territoriality and Habitat
Composition of Cerulean Warbler
Assemblages in Western Maryland.” 7
PM at Compton Hall, Frostburg State
U, Frostburg. For info contact Mary
Huebner at marybrd22@gmail.com or
check Western MD Birding website,
http://www.westemmdbirding.com for
updates.
ft Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park
(aka Lake Roland). See Sep 4 listing.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: Debbie Terry, 410-
252-8771 ordterryl2@verizon.net.
MEETING. Kent. Program and speaker
TBA. 7:30 PM, Wesley Hall at Heron
Point, off East Campus Ave, Chestertown.
If you have questions, please contact
Walter Ellison or Nancy Martin, 410-
778-9568 or rossgull@baybroadband.
net.
MEETING. Patuxent. Program TBD.
7:30 PM at the College Park Airport
Annex, College Park, MD. For add’l info
call 301-459-3375 or go to http://www.
pgaudubon.org/programs . html .
Thursday, October 1 1
MEETING. Howard. “Howard County
Bird Club’s Spontaneous On-Line
Butterfly Photo-Guide,” by Richard H.
Smith. Hospitality 7:30 PM; meeting/
program 8 PM at Robinson Nature
Center, 6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia.
Info: Wes Earp, 410-531-3197.
MEETING. Talbot. 7 PM at Wm. Hill
Manor 501 Dutchman’s Ln, Easton.
Speaker: Dr. Dave Curson, Director of
Bird Conservation for MD-DC Audubon.
Dave will give a presentation on our
Chesapeake Bay marshes and the future
changes afoot in these systems due to sea
level rise.
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
Saturday, October 13
A Allegany/Garrett. Town Hill. Meet
Ray Kiddy to watch for migrating hawks
at a time of year when there is still good
hawk diversity but also when we may
have a better chance for some more
interesting birds like Golden Eagles.
Meet 9 AM at the Ali Ghan and Christie
Rds P&R (off 1-68, east of Cumberland).
Bring lunch and a drink. Contact Ray at
301-729-1972 or rrkiddy@atlanticbb.net
for info and to make a reservation.
ft Baltimore. Cape May Hawkwatch.
All-day excursion. Bring lunch to spend
day mostly at the hawk watch platform
at Cape May observing hawks flying
by, with possible view of uncommon
seabirds out over the water. Optional
walks around the impoundments for
migrant waterfowl and shorebirds, and
possibly a few late migrant songbirds in
the trees. Meet 7 AM at Timonium P&R.
Leader: Pete Webb, 443-904-6314 (cell)
or pete_webb@juno.com.
n Frederick. Meet at Fred Archibald
Sanctuary, contact leader for time.
Morning trip. Fall sparrows, migrants,
and any number of surprises can occur
at this lovely Frederick Co sanctuary.
Leader: Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660.
n Howard. Lake Elkhorn. Meet 8 AM at
Dockside Parking lot. Easy walking along
the lake and to Forbay Pond. Migrants
will be moving through. Warblers are
generally in abundance. The lake can
turn up interesting surprises. Hawks are
also possible flying over. No facilities.
Leader: Allen Lewis, allenrlewis@gmail.
com.
Sunday, October 14
BIG SIT. Anne Arundel. Fort
Smallwood Park. A social gathering that
typically ends by 5 PM when the final
holdouts call it a day. Meet 7 AM at
southeastern corner of the Ft. Smallwood
Park, between the Chesapeake Bay and
the pond. Bring a comfortable chair and
snacks. Coordinator: Tom Bradford, 410-
987-0674 or tabslab@aol.com.
continued on page 23
September/October 2012
23
Calendar continued from page 22
ft Baltimore. Marshy Point Nature
Center. Half-day trip for early waterfowl,
raptors, passerines. Half-mile trail leads
to point overlooking Dundee Creek.
Boots advisable, scopes useful. Meet
9 AM. Leaders: Bob Rineer, 410-252-
6408 or rrineerl@jhmi.edu, and Brent
and Mary Byers, 410-626-7294 or
baypuffin@hotmail.com.
BIG SIT. Cecil. Turkey Pointers BIG
SIT! Birding’s Most Sedentary Event.
Our BIG SIT! count circle will be based
at the big Cedar Tree near the Lighthouse
at Turkey Point. Chris Starling will be
our official counter. Chris will start at
4:30 AM; you can come whenever you
like and stay for as long as you like. It is
not necessary to contact the leader before
this event, just come on out any time
during the day. Info: Chris Starling, cstar.
email@gmail.com.
BIG SIT. Kent. Join us at the observation
platform at Tubby Cove, Eastern Neck
NWR, to help tally all the birds seen
from this single location. Drop by any
time from first light (when birds are
most active) to mid-afternoon and stay as
long as you’d like. Info: Walter Ellison
and Nancy Martin, 410-778-9568 or
rossgull@baybroadband.net.
BIG SIT. Montgomery. Join the Sitting
Ducks at Black Hill RP starting at dawn
and continuing until ? Come for the day
or just a few hours. Meet at the dike
across the road from the park boat ramp.
For more info or directions, contact the
leader: Chuck Parker at 240-446-8423 or
chparker @acce s s . k 1 2 . wv. us .
ft Harford. Cromwell Valley Park.
Expect surprises during late fall migration
at this Balt Co park. Meet at 7:30 AM at
the P&R on Fallston Rd (Rte 152) just
north of Harford Rd (Rte 147). Contact
leader, Phil Powers at 410-679-4116 or
birdsinmd@verizon.net.
ft Howard. Sparrow Big Day. Full
day. Limit: 12. Search the wetland and
dry fields in this intensive search for as
many sparrows as possible. Going for
12 species! Previous years have turned
up non-sparrow rarities! Expect difficult
walking for most of the day. Knee boots
a must. Facilities at some spots. Contact
Bonnie Ott, bonnieott@verizon.net, 410-
461-3361 to sign up and get info.
A Talbot. Black Walnut Point Hawk
Watch. Various species of raptors pass
this convergence point in the autumn.
Harriers, accipiters, buteos, falcons,
and eagles are reliably seen. Leader:
Andrew Bullen, 410-763-8156. Depart
St. Michaels Village Shopping Center
at 9 AM. Or early birders seeking other
migrants and shorebirds can depart St.
Michaels at 7 AM or meet Andrew by
8:30 AM for later birding. Early birding
leader is Jan Reese, 410-745-2875. Late
birding with Andrew Bullen, 410-763-
8156.
Tuesday, October 1 6
A Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park
(aka Lake Roland). See Sep 4 listing.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: TBA.
A Montgomery. Montgomery County
Sparrow Search. Meet 7 AM and bird
until 10. Be prepared to walk in long, wet
grass and in muddy areas. The meeting
place will be determined by the leader
at a later date. Likely sparrows: White-
throated, Swamp, Song, maybe White-
crowned. Possible more difficult species:
Clay-colored and Nelson’s Sparrows.
Limit: 8. For info and reservations, call
the leader: Dave Powell at 301-540-8776.
Wednesday, October 17
MEETING. Montgomery. “My 70 Years
of Birding.” This talk will illustrate Don
Messer smith’s story from the 1940s to
the present day. 7:30 PM at Potomac
Presbyterian Church, 10301 River Rd,
Potomac. For more info contact Anna
Urciolo at urcioloa@sidwell.edu.
A Washington. Audrey Carroll
Sanctuary. Call Shirley at 301-241-3020,
for meeting time and place for this X A day
trip to Audrey Carroll Sanctuary.
Thursday, October 18
MEETING. Caroline. Speaker and
program: Danny Poet , “Attracting Birds
with Water.” 7:30 PM, Caroline Co
Public Library, 100 Market St, Denton.
Info: Debby Bennett, dabennettl996@
gmail.com.
ft Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther
Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with
PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at
Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn
Heights. No reservations needed. Call
David Mozurkewich, 301-459-3375 for
more info.
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
Saturday, October 20
ft Anne Arundel. Family Bird Walk
at Kinder Farm Park. See Sep 22 trip
description. Meet 9 AM in the first
parking area on the left just after the Park
entrance. Park has paved, level trails.
Leader: Stacy Epperson, 410-987-7533
or tryswim@comcast.net.
ft Baltimore. Saturday Monitoring
Walks at Fort McHenry. Continuing
survey of bird activity at the Fort and
wetland. Cancelled in inclement weather.
Meet 8 AM in the park, outside the
Visitor Center. Leader: Erin Lineberry,
443-742-9895.
ft Baltimore. Irvine Nature Center. With
forest, field, and marsh this 116 acre site
has an extensive trail system and is full
of promises. Expect between 45 and 55
species with plenty of “little brown job”
birds. Possible Red-headed Woodpecker
and Lincoln’s Sparrow. Meet at the
center, contact leader for exact time.
Leader: Pete Webb, 443-904-6314 (cell)
or pete_webb@juno.com.
ft Frederick. Hawk Watch. There
are several good ridges for the hawk
migration, we will choose one that seems
promising based on the weather. Contact
the leader for meeting time and location.
Leader: Tom Humphrey, 301-696-8540.
A Harford. Rocks SP. Spend the
morning on the trails of this Deer Crk
woodland to enjoy the late fall avian
spectacle. Gather at the ranger station
continued on page 24
ft Indicates Field Trip
24
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Calendar continued from page 23
parking area on Rocks Chrome Hill Rd
at 7 AM. Co-leaders are Mark Magnani,
410-838-1778 or mmagnani@peoplepc.
com and Sue Procell, 410-676-6602 or
procell 1 @comcast.net.
n Patuxent. Governor Bridge NA.
Joint trip with PGAS. Meet 7:30 AM at
the parking lot for Governor Bridge Park.
No reservations required. Park is located
on Governor Bridge Rd, approximately
1 mile east of MD 301. If you have
questions, contact trip leader Bill Sefton
at kiwisuits@msn.com.
Sunday, October 21
n Anne Arundel. Merkle Wildlife
Sanctuary (PG Co). The Sanctuary is
part of the Patuxent River Park system.
Meet 9 AM at Parole P&R located on
Harry Truman Pkwy, between Riva
Rd and South Haven Rd. Leader:
Barbara Johnson, 410-224-3339 or
barbaraj ohnson222@gmail . com.
n Baltimore. Cylburn Self-guided
Walk. Meet 8:30 AM at the Vollmer
Center parking lot (4915 Greenspring
Ave) for easy birding in Cylburn’ s
gardens and urban forest. Beginning
birders welcome. No designated leader.
Coordinator: Joe Lewandowski, 410-
358-7834 or ilenel@juno.com.
n Howard. West Friendship Park. Meet
8 AM at shopping center just west of Rtes
32 and 144. Will carpool to nearby park.
Moderate walking along field edges and
through stream valleys. Small ponds may
have some surprises. Expect wet areas.
Rustic facilities. Leaders: Jeff Culler,
cullersfuls@hotmail.com or 410-465-
9006 and Joe Byrnes, 410-730-5329 or
LBRoller@verizon.net.
n Kent. Pickering Creek. We will
search the fields and woods for songbird
migrants including sparrows, late
warblers, and blackbirds, and the ponds
for waterfowl and late shorebirds. Full
day, bring lunch. Meet 8 AM at the Dollar
General parking lot (off Philosopher’s
Terr) in Chestertown. If you have
questions, please contact the trip leaders:
Walter Ellison and Nancy Martin, 410-
n Indicates Field Trip
778-9568 or rossgull@baybroadband.
net.
A Talbot. Bombay Hook NWR. Expect
to see ducks, shorebirds, late neo-tropical
migrants, and early arriving sparrows.
Leader: Charles Hopkins, 410-763-8742.
Depart Easton Acme Parking Lot at 6:30
AM. Bring lunch, drinks, sunscreen, and
insect repellant.
Tuesday, October 23
n Baltimore. Robert E. Lee Park
(aka Lake Roland). See Sep 4 listing.
Meet 8 AM. Visit BBC website (http://
baltimorebirdclub.org/) for more specific
directions. Leader: Joan Cwi, 410-467-
5352 orjafjsc@verizon.net.
POTLUCK DINNER AND MEETING.
Washington. Mt. Aetna Nature Center.
Meet at the Nature Center, Hagerstown
for a potluck dinner starting at 6 PM.
Bring a dish to share along with your
own plate, drink, and utensils. Meeting
begins at 7 PM. MarkAbdy will share his
beautiful photography and enthusiasm
for African wildlife with “Birding
Botswana.” Call Anna Hutzell, 301-797-
8454, for add’l info.
Thursday, October 25
A Washington. Antietam Battlefield.
Weekly fall bird walk on the battlefield
or another nearby location. Meet 8 AM at
the Antietam Battlefield Visitor’s Center.
Call Ann Mitchell at 240-420-0808 for
info.
Friday to Sunday, October 26 to
28
ii Anne Arundel. Kiptopeke/
Fisherman’s Island. We’ll bird en route
on the 26th, with lodge check-in at 3 PM.
A nice lodge has been reserved that sleeps
15 people and is within walking distance
to the hawk watch and mist nets/banding
station. In addition, on the 27th a tour
has been set up for Fisherman’s Island,
within the Eastern Shore NWR. We’ll
check out and return home on the 28th.
Reservations are required! Meet 7:30
AM at Bay 50 Shopping Center located
off Rte 50 on Whitehall Rd. Contact the
leader, Peter Hanan, for questions and
cost, 301-580-2785 or peterhanan@
verizon.net.
Saturday, October 27
n Anne Arundel. Greenbury Point.
Meet at 7 AM at Jonas Green Park for
an early look up the Severn River and
then proceed to Greenbury Pt. This is an
excellent location to observe migrating
shorebirds. The trails are flat and grass
covered. Scopes are encouraged. Leader:
Dan Haas, nervousbirds@gmail.com.
n Baltimore. Patterson Park. Come see
what birding action abounds amid the
varied habitats of this green oasis in the
middle of Balt. Meet 8 AM at the White
House, just inside the west edge of the
park at intersection of S. Patterson Park
Ave and Lombard St. For questions,
contact Patterson Park Audubon Center
at ppaudubon@gmail.com or 410-558-
2473.
n Harford. Swan Harbor Farm Park.
This Harford Co gem has developed
into a fine location for a broad spectrum
of bird life, including waterfowl, marsh
specialties, raptors, and sparrows. Meet
7:30 AM at the parking lot adjacent to
the Agricultural Education Center (near
end of driveway). Co-leaders are Tom
Gibson, 410-734-4135 or gibsonlld@aol.
com and John Gallo.
n Patuxent. Patuxent River (southern
PG County area). Possible stops include
Jug Bay, Merkle, Milltown Landing,
and Aquasco Farms. Meet at the Bowie
P&R, 7:15 AM. Itinerary may change
depending on conditions. Contact David
Mozurkewich at 301-459-3375 for add’l
info.
Sunday, October 28
A Montgomery. Oaks Landfill. Explore
this now-closed landfill adjacent to the
Blue Mash Nature Trail. Mostly open
terrain on a gravel road, including two
pond views and one hill climb of moderate
difficulty. Possible sparrows, raptors, and
waterfowl. Leader will have scope for
distant birds. Limit: 16. Meet at 8 AM.
Contact the leaders for reservations and
more info. Co-leaders: Mark England,
240-207-3132 (h) or 240-375-4500 (m),
and Ed Patten, 301-948-5648.
n Talbot. Tilghman’s Island. Island
hopping passerines are still possible
while in the prime hawk migration,
coupled with Costa Rica bound Osprey,
continued on page 25
September/October 2012
25
Calendar continued from page 24
all surrounded by the landscapes golden
with the fall Eastern Shore sun. Leader:
Les Coble, 410-820-6165. Depart St.
Michaels’ Village Shopping Center Lot
7 AM.
Thursday, November 1
MEETING. Frederick. Members’
Night. This will feature a variety of
short presentations of photos, slides,
and/or videos from our members. Who
knows where it may take us! 7 PM at
Homewood at Crumland Farms (7407
Willow Rd) in Frederick. For info, or if
you want to be on the agenda, contact
Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@
FrederickBirdClub.org.
h Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther
Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with
PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at
Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn
Heights. No reservations needed. Call
David Mozurkewich, 301-459-3375 for
more info.
Friday, November 2
MEETING. Anne Arundel. Speaker:
Greg Kearns , Naturalist, Patuxent River
Park, “The Natural History of Ospreys.”
7:30 PM at Arlington Echo Outdoor
Education Center, 975 Indian Landing
Rd, Millersville.
DINNER MEETING. Harford. It will
be a dinner meeting starting at 6:15 PM
with a business meeting to follow at 7
PM. Program TBD. Call 410-692-5905
for dinner reservations or for more info.
A Washington. Lamb’s Knoll. Visit
Project Owlnet at Lamb’s Knoll and
observe Northern Saw-whet Owl banding
by Steve Huy. Wear sturdy shoes, bring
a flashlight, and be prepared to stay as
late as midnight. Meet at 9:15 PM at the
Boonsboro P&R next to Thompson’s Gas.
Registration is limited. Call Anna Hutzell
at 301-797-8454 to make reservations.
Saturday, November 3
ANNUAL BANQUET. Allegany/
Garrett. Speakers: Dave & Maureen
Harvey. Topic: Borneo (or Turkey).
Gathering starts at 5:30 PM, dinner at
6 PM. The event is at the Frostburg
n Indicates Field Trip
United Methodist Church. Please contact
Charlotte Folk for dinner reservations at
301-689-6587 or mail your check to her
at 179 Mt Pleasant St, Frostburg, MD
21532. The cost for the dinner is $15.
A Harford. Eden Mill Park. Walk the
trails here to enjoy northern Harford Co’s
bird life along Deer Crk. Enjoy scenic
woodlands and fields. Meet leader Susan
Hood, 410-877-0574 or susanjhood@
comcast.net at the Mill at 8 AM.
A Patuxent. Fran Uhler NA. Meet 7:30
AM at the end of Lemon Bridge Rd off
MD 197, just north of Bowie State U.
and the MARC line. No reservations
required. If you have questions, contact
trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.
com.
Sunday, November 4
n Howard. Centennial Park. Meet 8
AM West end parking lot. Easy walking
on paved path around Centennial Lake.
Woodlands, fields, and water host a wide
variety of species. Great view of the sky
for flyovers. Early waterfowl, lingering
migrants likely. Facilities available.
Leader: Mike Kerwin, m63kerwin@
verizon.net, 410-461-2408.
A Montgomery. Blackwater NWR.
Full day (to dusk). Early waterfowl and
lingering migrants plus late afternoon
marsh watch. Brown-headed Nuthatch
possible. Bring lunch and drinks.
Reservations required. Limit: 12. For
meeting place, time, and reservations,
contact the leader: Andy Martin at
martinap2@verizon.net or 301-529-2066
(cell).
ft Talbot. Wye Island. Good time for
arriving sparrows, waterfowl, and other
late fall migrants. We wifi also make a
stop to honor the 290 year-old American
Holly. Leader: Danny Poet, 410-827-
8651. Depart Easton Acme Parking Lot
7 AM or meet Danny at the Wye Island
Bridge at 7:30 AM.
Wednesday, November 7
Baltimore. First Wednesdays at Fort
McHenry. A continuing series of monthly
morning surveys of bird activity at the
Fort and wetland. Scope can be useful.
Cancelled in inclement weather. Meet
8 AM in the park, outside the Visitor
Center. Leader: Mary Chetelat, 410-665-
0769.
MEETING. Cecil. Program and Speaker:
TBA. 7 PM at Elkton HS, 110 James St,
Elkton, Rm B 120. For more info, contact
Maryanne Dolan, maryanne.dolan@
gmail.com.
Saturday, November 10
A Harford. Perryman Area. Phil Powers,
410-679-4116 or birdsinmd@verizon.net
will lead an expedition driving to various
locations in the Perryman area known to
harbor interesting bird life from Horned
Larks and pipits to waterfowl and
shorebirds. Depart from the Aberdeen
WalMart (Rte 40) at 7:30 AM.
n Howard. Sharps at Waterford Farm.
Meet 8 AM at farm parking area, through
barns on right. Moderate walking over
crop stubble, farm roads, and paths on
this working farm. Port-a-pots available.
Waterproof footware and clothing
advisable in wet weather with one small
stream crossing planned. Leader: Wes
Earp, the_earps@verizon.net or 410-
531-3197.
Sunday, November 1 1
n Baltimore. Marshy Point Nature
Center. Half-day trip for early waterfowl,
raptors, passerines. Half-mile trail leads
to point overlooking Dundee Crk. Boots
advisable, scopes useful. Meet 9 AM.
Leaders: Bob Rineer, 410-252-6408 or
rrineerl@jhmi.edu, and Brent and Mary
Byers, 410-626-7294 or baypuffm@
hotmail.com.
n Howard. Centennial Park. Meet 8
AM West end parking lot. Easy walking
on paved path around Centennial Lake.
Woodlands, fields, and water host a wide
variety of species. Great view of the sky
for flyovers. Early waterfowl, lingering
migrants likely. Facilities available.
Leader: Kurt Schwarz, krschwal@
verizon.net or 410-461-1643.
A Montgomery. LBJs at Blue Mash
Nature Trail. Blue Mash is hoppin‘ with
Little Brown Jobs, making it a good
place to work on the basics of sparrow
ID. We’ll look for similarities and
differences among the common species,
continued on page 26
26
The Maryland Yellowthroat
Calendar continued from page 25
like Song and Field and Chipping, while keeping an eye out for
less-likely White-crowned and Swamp. This trip is primarily for
beginners, but all are welcome. Half day. For reservations, time,
and directions, contact the leader: Lydia Schindler at 301-977-
5252 or lydiaschindler@verizon.net.
A Talbot. Pickering Creek. Good time for sparrows, waterfowl,
and perhaps a lingering shorebird or two. With most of the leaves
off the trees, searching for small arboreal dwellers will be easier.
Depart Easton Acme Parking Lot 7 AM. Leader Les Roslund,
410-763-8169.
Maryland/DC Records Committee
Status Report
as of July 20, 2012
by Phil Davis, MD/DCRC Secretary
The MD/DCRC has reached the following record decisions since
the last committee status report was published in The Maryland
Yellowthroat. This report covers MD/DCRC review packages 139
and 142 through 145. MD/DCRC report numbers are in brackets.
These records will be addressed in additional detail in a future
issue of Maryland Birdlife. New “state” species include Pink-
footed Goose, White-tailed Kite and Green Violetear for Maryland.
These additions bring the Official List of the Birds of Maryland
total to 444 species. More information on the MD/DCRC can be
found on the committee’s web pages at the following URL:
http : //www.mdbirds . org/mddcrc/rc index.html
MD Records Accepted:
Wood Stork, Mycteria americana [MD/2003-297]
Fruitland, Wicomico County
04-M-1994
Wood Stork, Mycteria americana [MD/201 1-068]
Point Lookout State Park, Scotland, Saint Mary’s
County
16-Feb-2011 through 19-Feb-2011
Wood Stork, Mycteria americana [MD/20 11-162]
Berwyn Heights, Prince George’s County
25-May-2011
Pink-footed Goose, Anser brachyrhynchus [MD/20 1 2-0 1 0]
Lisbon, Howard County
20-Feb-2012 through 22-Feb-2012
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/1999-196]
Chesapeake Farms, Chestertown, Kent County
late Dec- 1965
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/20 11-135]
Fruitland, Wicomico County
13-Oct-1986
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2000-014]
Jesterville, Wicomico County
06-Feb-2000 through 14-Feb-2000
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2005-144]
Great Oak Pond, Great Oak, Kent County
15-0ct-2005 through 16-0ct-2005
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/20 10- 130]
Great Oak Pond, Great Oak, Kent County
19- Jan-2006
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/20 12-005]
Chestertown, Kent County
09- Jan-2012 through 18-Jan-2012
White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus [MD/20 10-039]
Town Hill hawk watch, Town Hill, Allegany County
26-Oct-1990
Sabine’s Gull, Xema sabini [MD/2010-147]
Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, Anne Arundel
County
18-Aug-2010
Eurasian Collared-Dove, Streptopelia decaocto [MD/20 10-076]
downtown, Newark, Worcester County
29- May-2010
White-winged Dove, Zenaida asiatica [MD/2004-190]
West Ocean City, Ocean City, Worcester County
04- Dec-2004
Green Violetear, Colibri thalassinus [MD/201 1-388]
Elkton, Cecil County
10- Oct-2011 through 12-Oct-2011
Green Violetear, Colibri thalassinus [MD/201 1-393]
Clarksville, Howard County
24- Oct-2011 through 26-Oct-2011
Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna [MD/20 10- 175]
Middletown, Frederick County
05- Nov-2010 through 09-Dec-2010
Calliope Hummingbird, Stellula calliope [MD/20 11 -394]
Jasper Lane, Easton, Talbot County
23 -Oct-20 11 through 16-Dec-2011
Allen’s Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin [MD/201 1-404]
Sharpsburg, Washington County
~25-Oct-2011 through 11 -Jan-201 2
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens
[MD/201 1-407]
Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory, Kingstown, Queen
Anne’s County
09-Nov-2011
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens
[MD/201 1-425]
Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory, Kingstown, Queen
Anne’s County
30- Nov-2011
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Tyr annus forficatus [MD/20 11-1 54]
Eden Mill, Pylesville, Harford County
03-May-2011
Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianus [MD/20 10- 188]
Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Easton, Talbot
County
29-Dec-2010 through 17- Jan-20 11
Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianus [MD/20 11-412]
Sedgwick Way, Hagerstown, Washington County
25- Nov-2011 through 16-Jan-2012
Bell’s Vireo, Vireo bellii [MD/2011-391]
Turkey Point, Elkton, Cecil County
17-Oct-2011
continued on page 27
September/October 2012
27
Records continued from page 26
Black-throated Gray Warbler, Setophaga nigrescens
[MD/201 1-409]
Pemberton Drive, Salisbury, Wicomico County
20- Nov-2011
Townsend’s Warbler, Setophaga townsendi [MD/201 1-382]
Assateague, Berlin, Worcester County
17-Sep-2011
Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus
[MD/201 1-431]
Denton, Caroline County
21 - Dec-20 11 through 25-Dec-20 11
Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus [MD/201 0-057]
Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, Prince George’s
County
17-M-1947
Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus [MD/1997-172]
C&O Canal, Seneca, Montgomery County
15-May- 1966
Henslow’s Sparrow , Ammodramus henslowii [MD/2009-103]
Rockburn area, Ellicott City, Ellicott City County
09- May-2009
Bullock’s Oriole, Icterus bullockii [MD/2009-106]
Sycamore Landing, Seneca, Montgomery County
24- Nov-2009
MD Records ID OK/?? Origin:
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/ 1 999- 1 93]
Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, Dorchester County
25- Nov-1966 through 14-Dec- 1966
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/1999-189]
Street, Harford County
24-Feb-1985 through 24-May- 1985
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/1 998-020]
Jacksonville, Baltimore County
19-Apr-1985
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2005-010]
Trappe Station, Easton, Talbot County
10- May-2004
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2005-001]
Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Easton, Talbot County
09- Jan-2005 through 12- Jan-2005
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2007-099]
Great Oak Pond, Great Oak, Kent County
30-Sep-2006
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2006-269]
Grantsville, Garrett County
01 -Dec-2006 through 03 -Dec-2006
European Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris [MD/201 1-408]
Old Bowie, Bowie, Prince George’s County
17-Nov-2011
MD Records Not Accepted:
Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis [MD/201 0-068]
Potomac River, Oxon Hill, Prince George’s County
03-Dec- 1968
Aechmophorus species, Aechmophorus sp. [MD/20 10-1 86]
Honga River, Crapo, Dorchester County
28-Dec- 1964
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2002-007]
Blackwater NWR, Cambridge, Dorchester County
12- Jan-2002
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [MD/2007-060]
Lilypons Water Gardens, Buckeystown, Frederick
County 21 -Apr-2007
Mottled Duck, Anas fulvigula [MD/20 11-181]
Poplar Island, Tilghman, Tabot County
29-Sep-2004 through 08-0ct-2004
Yellow Rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis [MD/20 10-037]
Swan Harbor Farm Park, Havre de Grace, Harford
County
10- Apr-20 10
Wilson’s Plover, Charadrius wilsonia [MD/20 10- 155]
Blue Mash Nature Trail, Laytonsville, Montgomery
County
05-Sep-2010
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, T yrannus forficatus [MD/20 10- 157]
Spocott Farm, Cambridge, Dorchester County
10- Sep-2010
Cave Swallow, Petrochelidon fulva [MD/2007-144]
Canal Woods Condominiums, Salisbury, Wicomico
County
16-Dec-2007
Hutton’s Vireo, Vireo huttoni [MD/20 11 -392]
Columbia, Howard County
15- Oct-2011
Harris’s Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula [MD/20 10- 152]
Betterton, Kent County
11- Jul-2010
DC Records Accepted:
Anhinga, Anhinga anhinga [DC/2008-108]
Georgetown
16- Sep-2008
White Ibis, Eudocimus albus [DC/20 1 1 -37 1 ]
Kenilworth Park
09- Sep-2011 through 24-Sep-2011
Red Knot, Calidris canutus [DC/2011-399]
Hains Point
28-Sep-2011
DC Records ID OK/?? Origin:
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [DC/1997-289]
National Arboretum
17- Sep-1994 through 18-Sep-1994
DC Records Not Accepted:
Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis [DC/1999-190]
Anacostia River
10- Nov-1956
Swainson’s Hawk, Buteo swainsoni [DC/2010-021]
National Mall
17-Mar-2010
Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus [DC/20 10-151]
Hains Point
05-May-2010
28
POSTMASTER: TIME-DATED MATERIAL— PLEASE EXPEDITE!
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SOCIETY, INC.
Cylburn Mansion
4915 Greenspring Avenue
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Permit No. 1 84
MDBirding - A New
Online Discussion Group
On June 7th, after the demise of the much beloved
MDOsprey, a few of us mourners sprang into action and
established a new discussion group, titled “Maryland & DC
Birding” (or “MDBirding” for short).
It will fill much of the same role as MDOsprey, in that it can be
used to discuss a variety of topics related to both birds and birding
in MD and DC. The new discussion group uses the Google Groups
platform, which can function just like the familiar Listserv, but
has a few additional perks as well.
Users can sign up with their existing e-mail address and send
messages to the group either over e-mail, the web, or both. And
by switching to Google Groups, we can now have an unlimited
amount of participants, as well as posts with photo attachments
when appropriate.
Behind the scenes, Google Groups has a few additional benefits,
such as a built-in spam filter, which can help keep us all safe from
e-mail attacks. To visit the group on the web, go to
https://groups.google.eom/d/forum/mdbirding
The very first post at the top titled “Signing up and Posting
Guidelines” has all of the information you need to get started.
YouTl find both instructions on how to sign up and the list of
best-posting guidelines.
Like any large online discussion arena, this group may
occasionally need moderators to help keep discussions on topic.
Fellow MD birders Bill Hubick and Nick Lund have generously
volunteered to join me in helping maintain this role. We all
hope that new members will consider signing up and joining the
conversation.
Jared Fisher
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